Missile · Land
LGM-35A Sentinel
Intercontinental ballistic missile system intended to replace Minuteman III. GAO’s 2025 assessment includes the missile, command and control, ground systems and infrastructure in the acquisition scope.
- Milestones0
- Operators—
- Components—
- Programs1
- Capabilities—
- Inputs—
Photo: U.S. Air Force · Public domain (PD-USGov) · Full source frame retained; resized without upscaling and encoded as WebP.
Intercontinental ballistic missile system intended to replace Minuteman III. GAO’s 2025 assessment includes the missile, command and control, ground systems and infrastructure in the acquisition scope.
Timeline
No milestones recorded for LGM-35A Sentinel yet. The timeline fills in as unveilings, tests, contracts and deliveries are sourced.
Programs & Awards1 programs
Programs1
- LGM-35A SentinelUnited States
Cost to the Government
Missiles · Northrop Grumman
LGM-35A Sentinel
Sentinel’s missile development, nationwide infrastructure replacement and restructuring estimates have separate cost scopes.
Comparable unit price
Not verified
No comparable standalone unit price was established; package or contract totals are shown separately.
U.S. inventory
Not verified
A current U.S. inventory was not established. Annual procurement, cumulative deliveries and production capacity are not a stockpile count.
Operational missiles to replace
400
FY2027 overview · U.S. only; stated source scope
Replacement mission for 400 Minuteman III missiles and 450 silos; not a total production quantity, new order or Sentinel inventory.
DoD Comptroller ↗Annual RDT&E funding
$4.521B / yr
FY2027 total request · PB2027 · Nominal USD; source budget basis
R-1 PE0605238F Ground Based Strategic Deterrent EMD. Annual appropriation, not lifetime development. FY2026 includes listed reconciliation spend-plan funds; FY2027 is requested funding. Not a contract award or recurring hardware price.
Department of Defense Comptroller ↗Cost & funding breakdown
CAPE program acquisition estimate
$140.9B
July 2024 restructuring review · Source-reported USD · dollar year not specified in release
Source-reported acquisition estimate for a reasonably modified program, including command/launch infrastructure. GAO in February 2026 says costs remain uncertain. Not lifetime operations cost or missile-only procurement.
U.S. Air Force ↗Most cost growth sits outside the missile body
The 2024 review identifies the command-and-launch segment as the main source of cost growth. A program total divided by 400 operational replacements would allocate infrastructure and other development as if it were missile hardware. GAO’s February 2026 review still describes a restructuring program with uncertain costs.
Warhead and reentry-vehicle spending is separate
The Air Force procurement book lists the Mk21A reentry vehicle separately from Sentinel and identifies its interface with the NNSA W87-1 program. Neither is silently added to the Sentinel missile price.
Operations & sustainment
Annual operations & support
Not verified
A complete, system-specific annual operating and support cost was not established. Procurement, replacement rounds and contract support are different measures.
Cost over time · 4 observations
Each row retains its original scope and dollar basis. Changing quantities, service life and inflation can change the estimate without changing the price of building one unit.
| Observation | Measure | Amount | Dollar basis | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 actual · PB2027 | Annual RDT&E funding R-1 PE0605238F Ground Based Strategic Deterrent EMD. Annual appropriation, not lifetime development. FY2026 includes listed reconciliation spend-plan funds; FY2027 is requested funding. Not a contract award or recurring hardware price. | $1.942B / yr | Nominal USD; source budget basis | Department of Defense Comptroller ↗ |
| FY2026 total enacted / spend plan · PB2027 | Annual RDT&E funding R-1 PE0605238F Ground Based Strategic Deterrent EMD. Annual appropriation, not lifetime development. FY2026 includes listed reconciliation spend-plan funds; FY2027 is requested funding. Not a contract award or recurring hardware price. | $4.805B / yr | Nominal USD; source budget basis | Department of Defense Comptroller ↗ |
| FY2027 total request · PB2027 | Annual RDT&E funding R-1 PE0605238F Ground Based Strategic Deterrent EMD. Annual appropriation, not lifetime development. FY2026 includes listed reconciliation spend-plan funds; FY2027 is requested funding. Not a contract award or recurring hardware price. | $4.521B / yr | Nominal USD; source budget basis | Department of Defense Comptroller ↗ |
| 2020-09-08 | Development contract award Distinct from the later total acquisition estimate; do not add award value to the acquisition total. | $13.3B | Nominal USD; source budget basis | U.S. Air Force ↗ |
Contracts & purchasing · 1 records
Award values, ceilings and purchase agreements have different meanings. These records are not added together as total spending.
2020-09-08 · Engineering and manufacturing development award
U.S. Air Force → Northrop Grumman
$13.3B · quantity not established
Development contract; not lifetime program R&D or purchase of a fielded missile fleet.
U.S. Air Force ↗
Connected missiles & systems
Planned replacement
LGM-30G Minuteman III →Sentinel replaces the Minuteman III weapon system; delays extend legacy sustainment.
Government Accountability Office ↗
International buyers
United States · Quantity not verified · Air Force development customer · 2020 award / FY2027 request
No foreign purchase is established; operational replacement requirements are not deliveries.
U.S. Air Force ↗
Coverage & open research
- Current U.S. inventory and complete annual operating-and-support costs require additional public evidence.
- Buyer records are selected examples, not a complete global order book.
- LGM-35A SentinelTotal acquisition cost $170.60B (Estimate / observation: 2025-06-11 · BY2025 $)
Unit costs and contract unit prices for this system, and budget figures for the programs that buy it. Each figure states its dollar basis and links its source; contract values are under Programs & awards.