Northrop Grumman, Air Force announce progress across Sentinel program

Northrop Grumman (NOC) and the U.S. Air Force said they are achieving substantial progress across the Sentinel program, advancing toward first flight in 2027 and initial capability in the early 2030s. Northrop Grumman said, “From missile testing and infrastructure prototyping to supply chain readiness, Sentinel is accelerating development enabled by a transformed acquisition approach. In close partnership with the U.S. Air Force, Northrop Grumman is focused on achieving the earliest possible initial capability for the Sentinel weapon system. With rigorous systems engineering and an incremental approach to development and fielding, the Sentinel team is advancing capability through a series of phases that prioritize speed to make the system operational as quickly as possible. This allows testing and validation to occur earlier, lessons learned to be applied in real time and capability to be fielded faster while maintaining rigorous performance standards. Sentinel is a new system to replace the aged ground-based leg of the nuclear triad, spanning more than 32,000 square miles across five states. With elements of the updated acquisition approach already in motion, the Sentinel government-industry team has made significant progress testing critical hardware, fortifying the supply chain-a massive industrial base of more than 500 partners-and augmenting the nationwide workforce of more than 10,000 dedicated professionals.”