US Air Force pushes Sentinel’s initial capability to early 2030s despite China’s nuclear progress
A rendering of the LGM-35A Sentinel missile. (Photo: US DoD)
While the US struggles to modernise the 50-year-old land leg of its nuclear triad, China has been rapidly developing and fielding new nuclear capabilities.
The US Air Force (USAF) has disclosed details of the schedule of the LGM-35A Sentinel ballistic missile effort after recording multiple cost overruns and delays in the programme. First planned for 2029, the initial capability delivery is now expected in the early 2030s.
According to the branch, the milestone B decision to transition the Sentinel from technology maturation into the engineering and manufacturing development phase will be announced by the end of the current calendar year. The first missile pad launch, though, is planned for 2027.
In order to reach those steps, the initiative has multiple critical stages to overcome in
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