The race is on to build the next generation of intercontinental ballistic missiles to replace the venerable Minuteman III, which has served as the land-based leg of America’s nuclear triad for nearly half a century.
Boeing on Tuesday became the latest defense contractor to bid on the development program for the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent, which is in the technology maturation and risk reduction phase.
Northrop Grumman is also bidding on the GBSD program, and Lockheed Martin is believed to also be considering a bid on the contract. The main contract could be worth tens of billions of dollars.
In a statement, Boeing noted that it created the Minuteman ICBM in 1958, and said “We are ready to again offer an ICBM that will meet the Air Force mission requirements through 2075.”
In his last testimony before Congress retiring, Adm. Cecil Haney, commander of U.S. strategic forces, called replacing the Cold War-era Minuteman missile a top priority to maintain maximum deterrence from the three legs of the triad: aerial bombers, submarines and land-based missiles.
“The future for our intercontinental ballistic missile program is very important,” Haney told a house committee in July. “So moving forward with ground-based strategic deterrent, GBSD as we call it, is paramount in terms of the capabilities we need for that part of the triad.”
Boeing cited its expertise in ICBM design, development and production, which it said “has influenced a GBSD concept that is readily capable and affordable.”
The Air Force hopes to begin fielding an integrated replacement system by the late 2020s, and plans to buy around 600 missiles for just over $50 billion, according to an estimate from Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments.
In August, Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James expressed concern that the cost of the program could balloon.
“The magnitude of this type of ICBM work, we have not collectively done it for more than 40 years,” James said at a Pentagon briefing. “And so there is a level of complexity that has to be worked through.”
The land-based ICBM leg of the triad provides the fastest response in the event of a nuclear attack, while ballistic missile submarines are considered to be the most survivable leg. Long-range bombers armed with either bombs or nuclear tipped air-launched cruise missiles are considered the most flexible.
President Obama has pledged to rebuild all three legs of the nuclear triad at an estimated cost of $1 trillion over 30 years, a plan that enjoys wide bipartisan support in Congress.
