USAF awards another Mk21A contract modification
A USAF maintenance airman removes the screws holding the nose point of a Minuteman III ICBM to the rest of the re-entry system inside a payload transporter. (Photo: USAF Nuclear Weapons Center)
Lockheed Martin is to assist the much-needed US ICBM fuze modernisation programme, as the existing Mk21 fuze is already three times past its design life.
Lockheed Martin has obtained a $51.22 million contract modification from the USAF Nuclear Weapon Center to provide engineering services for arming and fuzing subsystem on the Mk21A Reentry Vehicle (RV).
Work will be performed at King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, and is expected to be completed by 31 October 2023.
The total cumulative face value of the contract is $255.31 million, the DoD noted on 4 August.
Budget documents from the USAF note that the ‘legacy Mk21 fuze is three times past its design life’ and it cannot meet requirements for the US nuclear weapons stockpile.
The USAF has requested $129.7 million for ICBM fuze modernisation in FY2022.
Lockheed Martin is already working on a technology maturation and risk reduction (TMRR) R&D contract for the RV, with a scheduled completion date of 21 October 2022.
The aim of the TMRR effort is to add the capability for the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent system to deliver the W87-1 warhead.
You may also like
More from Defence Notes
-
![Teledyne FLIR adds GPS-denied 3D-mapping capabilities to its CBRN uncrewed platforms]()
Teledyne FLIR adds GPS-denied 3D-mapping capabilities to its CBRN uncrewed platforms
In a partnership with Emesent, Teledyne FLIR will equip its autonomous air, ground and detection systems with the Hovermap LiDAR payload in a move that highlights a broader market shift towards modular architectures, shared payloads and interoperability across platforms.
-
![US seeks 32% boost for missile defence budget with $23 billion earmarked for interceptors]()
US seeks 32% boost for missile defence budget with $23 billion earmarked for interceptors
The Pentagon’s proposed budget for the next fiscal year includes an impressive increase in the procurement of interceptors, with the number of the US Army’s PAC-3 MSE rounds expanding by 683%, the US Navy’s Standard Missile by 365% and the MDA’s SM-3 IIA by more than 1,000%.
-
![US Army partners with Global Military Products to surge munitions production]()
US Army partners with Global Military Products to surge munitions production
Global Military Products was selected by the US Army to operate the Quad Cities Cartridge Case Facility and ramp up the production of various calibre shell cases.
-
![Growing a digital backbone: an essential capability for the multi-domain battlespace]()
Growing a digital backbone: an essential capability for the multi-domain battlespace
Future operational superiority will be defined by the ability to connect systems, data and personnel into a wider network. For armed forces, this creates the need for a digital backbone that integrates and enhances sensors and effectors of all kinds.
-
![Estonia opts for smart, adaptable and cooperative solutions in the face of Russian threat]()
Estonia opts for smart, adaptable and cooperative solutions in the face of Russian threat
Estonian-made equipment is being put through the toughest of evaluations in the hands of Ukrainian soldiers resisting the full-scale Russian invasion which began in 2022. The country has long seen the threat and is continuing to adapt for the future.
