DoD Weighs Updated Acquisition Strategy for Northrop Grumman LGM-35A Sentinel; Milestone B and EMD Targeted in 2027

The Defense Department is weighing an updated acquisition strategy for Northrop Grumman's LGM-35A Sentinel ICBM this fall, with the U.S. Air Force aiming for a Milestone B decision and engineering and manufacturing development (EMD) approval in early–mid 2027. Service officials and Northrop emphasize cybersecurity, digital modeling and extensive prototyping.

Discovered 2025-09-22T12:12:41.362472-07:00 | 2025-09-22T12:12:41.362472-07:00

Briefing

What Hype is tracking

Sentinel restructuring and an updated acquisition strategy directly affect the pace of replacing the Minuteman III force — potentially extending Minuteman service life toward 2050 and impacting roughly 400 missiles and ~450 silos that face a paused transition this fiscal cycle: https://hype.aero/?story=aa7d0ce6-fea8-449c-a035-afafd5ab84b2
Northrop and the USAF report extensive prototyping and propulsion testing, and are prioritizing cybersecurity and digital modeling to reduce technical risk — a key indicator of program maturity even as acquisition plans shift: https://hype.aero/?story=c6b1a0d6-2721-48e8-b174-a1bd43a0ed8b

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