Next-gen ICBM "Ground Based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD = Sentinel)" development & early production: ~$13.7B — a contract with Northrop Grumman (USAspending)
The U.S. Air Force awarded a contract for engineering & manufacturing development (EMD) and early production & deployment of the next-generation land-based intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) program, the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD), to Northrop Grumman. The value is about $13.7 billion ($13,720,293,923). GBSD was later named "Sentinel" and replaces the aging Minuteman III.
Contract key facts
- RecipientNorthrop Grumman
- Contract value$13,720,293,923 (≈$13.72B)
- BranchAir Force
- Awarding agencyDepartment of Defense
- Awarding sub-agencyDepartment of the Air Force
- Award typeDEFINITIVE CONTRACT
- Period of performance2020-09-08 〜 2029-03-10
- Contract ID (PIID)FA821920C0006
Contract scope (original)
GROUND-BASED STRATEGIC DETERRENT (GBSD) ENGINEERING AND MANUFACTURING DEVELOPMENT (EMD) AND EARLY PRODUCTION AND DEPLOYMENT (P&D)
Key points
- Development & early production of the next-gen land-based ICBM "GBSD (later Sentinel)"
- Awarded to Northrop Grumman; awarding component is the U.S. Air Force
- Value ~$13.7B ($13,720,293,923), definitive contract, Sep 2020–Mar 2029
- Replaces Minuteman III = the land-based leg of the nuclear triad
- GBSD renews the land-based leg of the nuclear triad, sitting alongside the Columbia-class SSBN as investment of the same period.
1The next-generation ICBM, GBSD (Sentinel)
This contract covers engineering & manufacturing development (EMD) and early production & deployment (P&D) of the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD), the next-generation land-based intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) program.
2Replacing Minuteman III
GBSD is the Air Force program to replace the land-based ICBM "Minuteman III," in service since the 1970s; it was later named "Sentinel." U.S. nuclear deterrence rests on a triad — submarines (SSBNs), strategic bombers, and land-based ICBMs — and this program covers the land-based leg.
3Modernizing the nuclear triad
Alongside the Navy's Columbia-class SSBN, this contract is part of a simultaneous modernization of the U.S. nuclear triad.
4All three legs are being renewed at once
US nuclear deterrence rests on three legs: submarines, strategic bombers and land-based ICBMs. This contract carries the land-based leg, and lining up the records this site holds shows the renewal is not proceeding on one leg alone.
| The nuclear triad | How this record relates |
|---|---|
| Land-based ICBM | GBSD, later named Sentinel, replaces the Minuteman III fielded since the 1970s |
| Submarine-launched ballistic missile | Construction of the Columbia-class SSBN sits alongside as investment of the same period |
| Strategic bomber | The third leg, joining the same structure of deterrence |
What this contract covers is engineering and manufacturing development together with early production and deployment. Development and early production sit in one contract because a stage confirming the design before serial production is required. That the renewal of all three legs overlaps in time is not visible from following records one at a time.
Why it matters
A read on the scale of the U.S. strategic investment to modernize the nuclear triad (submarines, bombers, land-based ICBMs) at once. Useful for defense supply chains and readers tracking security and nuclear policy.
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Sources (primary)
This article is an independent organization based on the U.S. official spending data below. Verify the exact, latest details with the official source.
- USAspending (award details)
- Contract ID (PIID)：FA821920C0006