A replacement for the nation’s aging ground-based nuclear missile is still vitally needed despite funding problems that surfaced earlier this year that threatened to trigger congressional sanctions, the Defense Department said Monday.
The LGM-35A Sentinel is the successor to the aging Minuteman III nuclear missile. The Pentagon has called the modernization of the nuclear triad their top priority. But the fate of the Sentinel has been in question since the so-called Nunn-McCurdy statute breach requires the cancellation of a weapons program if costs exceed 125% of the budgeted amount.
The program can only continue if the Defense Department officially certifies that it warrants an exception to the policy. On Monday, Undersecretary of Defense William LaPlante certified to Congress that the Sentinel meets the criteria.
A Defense Department review determined that the total acquisition costs for a “reasonably modified” Sentinel program are estimated at $140.9 billion — an increase of 81% compared to earlier estimates. Most of the cost growth is in Sentinel’s command and launch segment, such as the launch centers, and the funds needed to convert from Minuteman III to Sentinel, officials said.
“We are fully aware of the costs, but we are also aware of the risks of not modernizing our nuclear forces and not addressing the very real threats we confront,” Mr. LaPlante said Monday after the Nunn-McCurdy exception was announced.
“There are reasons for the cost growth, but there are no excuses. We are already working to address the root causes, and more importantly, we believe that we are on the right path to defend our nation while protecting the sacred responsibility the American taxpayer has entrusted us with,” Mr. LaPlante said.
A restructuring of the Sentinel program to meet the Nunn-McCurdy requirements could mean a delay of several years before the program is fully operational.
The U.S. nuclear arsenal remains safe, secure and effective. However, most of the deterrent systems are operating beyond their original design life and there is little to no margin between the end of their effective life and the fielding of the replacements, the Defense Department said.
“The Air Force is committed to restructuring the Sentinel program to address the findings of this review and modernize our ICBM force to ensure its effectiveness against future threats while ensuring no capability gaps during the transition from Minuteman III to Sentinel,” said Undersecretary of the Air Force Melissa Dalton.
• Mike Glenn can be reached at mglenn@washingtontimes.com.
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