{"id":66907,"date":"2024-01-19T21:37:27","date_gmt":"2024-01-19T21:37:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2024\/01\/19\/air-forces-next-nuclear-missile-at-risk-after-costs-spike\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T00:54:25","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T00:54:25","slug":"air-forces-next-nuclear-missile-at-risk-after-costs-spike","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/air\/2024\/01\/19\/air-forces-next-nuclear-missile-at-risk-after-costs-spike\/","title":{"rendered":"Air Force\u2019s next nuclear missile at risk after costs spike"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">WASHINGTON \u2014 The Air Force\u2019s<b> <\/b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/air\/2023\/11\/13\/us-air-forces-sentinel-missile-struggling-faces-rising-costs\/\" target=\"_blank\">next nuclear missile program has exceeded its planned costs<\/a> severely enough to trigger a report to Congress, potentially putting the program\u2019s survival at risk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Northrop Grumman-made <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/battlefield-tech\/space\/2023\/06\/14\/next-gen-nuclear-missile-rollout-slips-on-supply-chain-software-woes\/\" target=\"_blank\">LGM-35A Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile<\/a> has overrun its initial cost projections and incurred a critical <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/air\/2022\/08\/12\/combat-rescue-helicopter-cuts-trigger-cost-overrun-air-force-says\/\" target=\"_blank\">Nunn-McCurdy breach<\/a>, an Air Force spokesperson confirmed to Defense News. The Air Force notified Congress about the breach Thursday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Office of the Secretary of Defense will now review the Sentinel program, the Air Force said, and will decide whether to restructure the program, or cancel it entirely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWork under the current contract will continue until OSD completes its review of the Sentinel program,\u201d the Air Force spokesperson said. \u201cMaintaining a strong nuclear deterrent is critical to safeguarding our nation and protecting our allies from a nuclear attack.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/industry\/techwatch\/2024\/01\/16\/northrop-test-fires-rocket-motor-for-new-nuclear-missile\/\" target=\"_blank\">Sentinel program is planned to replace<\/a> the Air Force\u2019s Cold War-era LGM-30G Minuteman III ICBM as part of the U.S. nuclear triad. Northrop Grumman in 2020 received a $13.3 billion contract to build Sentinel, and the program was originally expected to cost about $96 billion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The per-unit total cost for the Sentinel was $118 million when the program\u2019s cost, schedule and performance goals were set in 2020, the Air Force said. Since then, that has grown at least 37% to about $162 million, triggering this cost overrun process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A critical Nunn-McCurdy breach is declared when a major defense acquisition program\u2019s cost grows 25% over the current cost targets or at least 50% over the original cost. The Defense Department must notify Congress when such a major cost overrun occurs and certify the program is essential to national security and must continue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Pentagon will also have to certify to Congress that there are no cheaper alternatives to the Sentinel program, that the new cost estimates are reasonable, that it is a higher priority than other programs whose funding could be cut to cover the cost growth, and that the program\u2019s management structure can control further cost growth. If that certification does not happen, the program would be terminated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">William LaPlante, the undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment, said in a statement that \u201cSentinel is one of the department\u2019s largest, most complex programs\u201d and the Pentagon has taken several steps to help it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in December 2022 declared the Sentinel program one of the Pentagon\u2019s most important and gave it priority in the supply chain, LaPlante said. He also said that in 2023 he approved changes to its acquisition strategy meant to keep it on schedule.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe are prepared to fulfill the department\u2019s statutory responsibilities [in light of the Nunn-McCurdy declaration] and conduct a robust review of the program to determine what factors caused the cost growth,\u201d LaPlante said. \u201cAs we do so, we will keep our partners in Congress informed and maintain open communications to the greatest extent possible.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Northrop Grumman, the prime contractor on Sentinel\u2019s engineering and manufacturing development phase, said in a statement to Defense News it is making \u201csignificant progress\u201d on the program and reaching milestones to mature its design and reduce risk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cAs part of our work on the EMD contract, our team is committed to supporting the Air Force as it assesses and updates acquisition cost forecasts for the future phases of the program, to include construction projects, production, and deployment of the weapon system,\u201d Northrop Grumman said. \u201cWe are focused on continuing to perform and meet our commitments under the EMD contract as we move toward delivery of this essential national security capability.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The date Sentinel might reach initial operational capability also is now likely to slip by two years, the Air Force said. Sentinel was originally expected to reach IOC in 2029. The Government Accountability Office warned last year that deadline would likely slip until about spring 2030, and the program now appears to be falling further behind schedule.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Air Force said the IOC delay will also be reviewed as part of the Nunn-McCurdy process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The service noted the bulk of Sentinel\u2019s cost growth is coming in its command and launch segment, the most complex part of the program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This includes building more than 400 new launch facilities and laying thousands of miles of fiber optic networks, the Air Force added, as well as acquiring permanent and temporary real estate easements from hundreds of landowners.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Sentinel program will also need to build more than 7,500 miles of utility corridors across missile wings spanning five states, the Air Force said, while keeping 400 ICBMs on alert.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Air Force said it has not seen similarly severe cost growth in the missile itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall in November 2023 said the Sentinel program was \u201cstruggling\u201d and its costs might rise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Kendall called the scale and complexity of the Sentinel program \u201cprobably the biggest thing \u2026 that the Air Force has ever taken on,\u201d highlighting the construction of launch complexes, real estate development and civil engineering work as particular challenges.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The LGM-35A Sentinel nuclear missile has seen its costs increase at least 37%, triggering a review that could see the program restructured or canceled.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":118286,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":7,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":{"2":{"categories":["pentagon-congress","your-military","news"],"primary_category":"pentagon-congress"},"4":{"categories":["your-air-force","pentagon-congress","newsletters","daily-news-roundup","news"],"primary_category":"your-air-force"},"8":{"categories":["govcon","home","management","budget","federal-oversight","congress","contracting"],"primary_category":"govcon"},"9":{"categories":["industry","home","battlefield-tech","space"],"primary_category":"industry"}}},"categories":[7,160,36],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3412],"class_list":["post-66907","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-air","category-daily-news-roundup","category-newsletters"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"ORLK272EJ5D27E5W3GOLT7QPRY","arc_canonical_url":"\/air\/2024\/01\/19\/air-forces-next-nuclear-missile-at-risk-after-costs-spike\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Air Force\u2019s next nuclear missile at risk after costs spike - Defense News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The LGM-35A Sentinel nuclear missile has seen its costs increase at least 37%, triggering a review that could see the program restructured or canceled.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Air Force\u2019s next nuclear missile at risk after costs spike\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The LGM-35A Sentinel nuclear missile has seen its costs increase at least 37%, triggering a review that could see the program restructured or canceled.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/air\/2024\/01\/19\/air-forces-next-nuclear-missile-at-risk-after-costs-spike\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Defense News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-01-19T21:37:27+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-08-08T00:54:25+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Stephen Losey\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Stephen Losey\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\n\t    \"@context\": \"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\n\t    \"@graph\": [\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Article\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/air\\\/2024\\\/01\\\/19\\\/air-forces-next-nuclear-missile-at-risk-after-costs-spike\\\/#article\",\n\t            \"isPartOf\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/air\\\/2024\\\/01\\\/19\\\/air-forces-next-nuclear-missile-at-risk-after-costs-spike\\\/\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"author\": {\n\t                \"name\": \"migration\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"headline\": \"Air Force\u2019s next nuclear missile at risk after costs spike\",\n\t            \"datePublished\": \"2024-01-19T21:37:27+00:00\",\n\t            \"dateModified\": \"2026-08-08T00:54:25+00:00\",\n\t            \"mainEntityOfPage\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/air\\\/2024\\\/01\\\/19\\\/air-forces-next-nuclear-missile-at-risk-after-costs-spike\\\/\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"wordCount\": 834,\n\t            \"commentCount\": 0,\n\t            \"publisher\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/#organization\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/air\\\/2024\\\/01\\\/19\\\/air-forces-next-nuclear-missile-at-risk-after-costs-spike\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"thumbnailUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/SentinelMissile_Hero_Angle-0021.jpg.jpg\",\n\t            \"articleSection\": [\n\t                \"Air Warfare\",\n\t                \"Daily News Roundup\",\n\t                \"Newsletters\"\n\t            ],\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"CommentAction\",\n\t                    \"name\": \"Comment\",\n\t                    \"target\": [\n\t                        \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/air\\\/2024\\\/01\\\/19\\\/air-forces-next-nuclear-missile-at-risk-after-costs-spike\\\/#respond\"\n\t                    ]\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"WebPage\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/air\\\/2024\\\/01\\\/19\\\/air-forces-next-nuclear-missile-at-risk-after-costs-spike\\\/\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/air\\\/2024\\\/01\\\/19\\\/air-forces-next-nuclear-missile-at-risk-after-costs-spike\\\/\",\n\t            \"name\": \"Air Force\u2019s next nuclear missile at risk after costs spike - Defense News\",\n\t            \"isPartOf\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/#website\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"primaryImageOfPage\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/air\\\/2024\\\/01\\\/19\\\/air-forces-next-nuclear-missile-at-risk-after-costs-spike\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/air\\\/2024\\\/01\\\/19\\\/air-forces-next-nuclear-missile-at-risk-after-costs-spike\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"thumbnailUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/SentinelMissile_Hero_Angle-0021.jpg.jpg\",\n\t            \"datePublished\": \"2024-01-19T21:37:27+00:00\",\n\t            \"dateModified\": \"2026-08-08T00:54:25+00:00\",\n\t            \"description\": \"The LGM-35A Sentinel nuclear missile has seen its costs increase at least 37%, triggering a review that could see the program restructured or canceled.\",\n\t            \"breadcrumb\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/air\\\/2024\\\/01\\\/19\\\/air-forces-next-nuclear-missile-at-risk-after-costs-spike\\\/#breadcrumb\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ReadAction\",\n\t                    \"target\": [\n\t                        \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/air\\\/2024\\\/01\\\/19\\\/air-forces-next-nuclear-missile-at-risk-after-costs-spike\\\/\"\n\t                    ]\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/air\\\/2024\\\/01\\\/19\\\/air-forces-next-nuclear-missile-at-risk-after-costs-spike\\\/#primaryimage\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/SentinelMissile_Hero_Angle-0021.jpg.jpg\",\n\t            \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/SentinelMissile_Hero_Angle-0021.jpg.jpg\"\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"BreadcrumbList\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/air\\\/2024\\\/01\\\/19\\\/air-forces-next-nuclear-missile-at-risk-after-costs-spike\\\/#breadcrumb\",\n\t            \"itemListElement\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 1,\n\t                    \"name\": \"Home\",\n\t                    \"item\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/\",\n\t                    \"ad_zone\": \"home\"\n\t                },\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 2,\n\t                    \"name\": \"Air Warfare\",\n\t                    \"item\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/air\\\/\",\n\t                    \"ad_zone\": \"air\"\n\t                },\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 3,\n\t                    \"name\": \"Air Force\u2019s next nuclear missile at risk after costs spike\"\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"WebSite\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/#website\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/\",\n\t            \"name\": \"Defense News\",\n\t            \"description\": \"Covering the politics, business and technology of defense | Defense News\",\n\t            \"publisher\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/#organization\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"SearchAction\",\n\t                    \"target\": {\n\t                        \"@type\": \"EntryPoint\",\n\t                        \"urlTemplate\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"\n\t                    },\n\t                    \"query-input\": {\n\t                        \"@type\": \"PropertyValueSpecification\",\n\t                        \"valueRequired\": true,\n\t                        \"valueName\": \"search_term_string\"\n\t                    }\n\t                }\n\t            ],\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\"\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/#organization\",\n\t            \"name\": \"Defense News\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/\",\n\t            \"logo\": {\n\t                \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t                \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\n\t                \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/defensenews-logo-white.png\",\n\t                \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/defensenews-logo-white.png\",\n\t                \"caption\": \"Defense News\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"\n\t            }\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Person\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1\",\n\t            \"name\": \"migration\",\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t                \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=gcf4cb6ee0ec29e49e7a963234e4340ec\",\n\t                \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\n\t                \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\n\t                \"caption\": \"migration\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/defensenews\\\/author\\\/migration\\\/\"\n\t        }\n\t    ]\n\t}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Air Force\u2019s next nuclear missile at risk after costs spike - Defense News","description":"The LGM-35A Sentinel nuclear missile has seen its costs increase at least 37%, triggering a review that could see the program restructured or canceled.","robots":{"index":"noindex","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Air Force\u2019s next nuclear missile at risk after costs spike","og_description":"The LGM-35A Sentinel nuclear missile has seen its costs increase at least 37%, triggering a review that could see the program restructured or canceled.","og_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/air\/2024\/01\/19\/air-forces-next-nuclear-missile-at-risk-after-costs-spike\/","og_site_name":"Defense News","article_published_time":"2024-01-19T21:37:27+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-08-08T00:54:25+00:00","author":"Stephen Losey","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Stephen Losey","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/air\/2024\/01\/19\/air-forces-next-nuclear-missile-at-risk-after-costs-spike\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/air\/2024\/01\/19\/air-forces-next-nuclear-missile-at-risk-after-costs-spike\/"},"author":{"name":"migration","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/#\/schema\/person\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1"},"headline":"Air Force\u2019s next nuclear missile at risk after costs spike","datePublished":"2024-01-19T21:37:27+00:00","dateModified":"2026-08-08T00:54:25+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/air\/2024\/01\/19\/air-forces-next-nuclear-missile-at-risk-after-costs-spike\/"},"wordCount":834,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/air\/2024\/01\/19\/air-forces-next-nuclear-missile-at-risk-after-costs-spike\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/SentinelMissile_Hero_Angle-0021.jpg.jpg","articleSection":["Air Warfare","Daily News Roundup","Newsletters"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/air\/2024\/01\/19\/air-forces-next-nuclear-missile-at-risk-after-costs-spike\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/air\/2024\/01\/19\/air-forces-next-nuclear-missile-at-risk-after-costs-spike\/","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/air\/2024\/01\/19\/air-forces-next-nuclear-missile-at-risk-after-costs-spike\/","name":"Air Force\u2019s next nuclear missile at risk after costs spike - Defense News","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/air\/2024\/01\/19\/air-forces-next-nuclear-missile-at-risk-after-costs-spike\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/air\/2024\/01\/19\/air-forces-next-nuclear-missile-at-risk-after-costs-spike\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/SentinelMissile_Hero_Angle-0021.jpg.jpg","datePublished":"2024-01-19T21:37:27+00:00","dateModified":"2026-08-08T00:54:25+00:00","description":"The LGM-35A Sentinel nuclear missile has seen its costs increase at least 37%, triggering a review that could see the program restructured or canceled.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/air\/2024\/01\/19\/air-forces-next-nuclear-missile-at-risk-after-costs-spike\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/air\/2024\/01\/19\/air-forces-next-nuclear-missile-at-risk-after-costs-spike\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/air\/2024\/01\/19\/air-forces-next-nuclear-missile-at-risk-after-costs-spike\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/SentinelMissile_Hero_Angle-0021.jpg.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/SentinelMissile_Hero_Angle-0021.jpg.jpg"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/air\/2024\/01\/19\/air-forces-next-nuclear-missile-at-risk-after-costs-spike\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/","ad_zone":"home"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Air Warfare","item":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/air\/","ad_zone":"air"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Air Force\u2019s next nuclear missile at risk after costs spike"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/#website","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/","name":"Defense News","description":"Covering the politics, business and technology of defense | Defense News","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/#organization","name":"Defense News","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/defensenews-logo-white.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/defensenews-logo-white.png","caption":"Defense News"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/#\/schema\/person\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1","name":"migration","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=gcf4cb6ee0ec29e49e7a963234e4340ec","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"migration"},"url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/author\/migration\/"}]}},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Defense News","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews","push-errors":false,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/SentinelMissile_Hero_Angle-0021.jpg.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/66907","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=66907"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/66907\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":66919,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/66907\/revisions\/66919"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=66907"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=66907"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=66907"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=66907"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}