Sentinel ICBM Nuclear Missile Program

Full Specifications

Sentinel ICBM Ballistic Missile

The LGM-35A Sentinel is the next-generation land-based intercontinental ballistic missile being developed for the United States Air Force to replace the aging LGM-30G Minuteman III fleet. Designed as one leg of America’s nuclear triad, Sentinel will provide long-range strategic deterrence through the 21st century.

The missile is intended to modernize launch facilities, command systems, communications links, and warhead delivery capability. It represents one of the most important U.S. strategic defense programs currently underway.

Manufacturer

Primary contractor Northrop Grumman leads missile design, systems integration, command network modernization, and deployment infrastructure. Multiple U.S. suppliers support propulsion, electronics, cybersecurity, and silo modernization.

The program was formerly known as Ground Based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD) before receiving the Sentinel designation.

Speed and Range

Sentinel is an intercontinental ballistic missile expected to exceed 5,500 km range, with practical strike reach far beyond that threshold. Like other ICBMs, it travels at hypersonic speeds above Mach 20 during portions of flight.

The missile uses advanced inertial guidance, hardened communications, secure launch authentication, and improved reliability compared with legacy Minuteman III systems.

Cost / Price

The Sentinel program is among the largest U.S. strategic modernization efforts. Total acquisition and infrastructure costs are estimated in the hundreds of billions of dollars over the life of the program. Recent Pentagon budget requests have included multi-billion-dollar annual funding lines, including roughly $4.6 billion requested for FY2026.