Missile · Land
LGM-30G Minuteman III
Silo-based intercontinental ballistic missile in the U.S. strategic deterrent force.
by Boeing
- Milestones1
- Operators—
- Components—
- Programs—
- Capabilities—
- Inputs—
Photo: Staff Sgt. JT Armstrong via Wikimedia Commons · Public domain (PD-USGov-Military-Air Force) · Resized and reencoded as WebP with metadata removed; no additional crop.
Timeline1
- FieldedConfirmed
Minuteman III deployed
The latest 10 milestones. Solid entries are confirmed, outlined reported, dashed estimated or still to come; dotted italic entries are speculative. Dates show only the precision the sources give.
Cost to the Government
Missiles · Boeing / U.S. Air Force
LGM-30G Minuteman III
A 400-missile deployed force remains distinct from modernization, replacement-equipment and annual research funding.
Comparable unit price
Not verified
No comparable standalone unit price was established; package or contract totals are shown separately.
Operationally deployed missiles
400
FY2027 budget overview · April 2026 · U.S. only; stated source scope
Overview states 400 operationally deployed missiles. Excludes test assets and spares; not a real-time readiness assessment.
DoD Comptroller ↗U.S. procurement quantity
Not verified
No comparable U.S. procurement quantity was established in this review.
Annual Minuteman Squadrons RDT&E
$79.313M / yr
FY2027 total request · PB2027 · Nominal USD; source budget basis
R-1 PE0101213F Minuteman Squadrons. 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 ↗Sustainment procurement does not establish a new missile price
Production ended in 1978 according to the Air Force fact sheet. Current budget work replaces equipment and sustains an aging system; that spending cannot be interpreted as the price of a newly manufactured complete Minuteman III.
Sentinel delays extend the sustainment problem
GAO’s February 2026 assessment says Sentinel delays require the Air Force to operate Minuteman III longer than planned. The annual R&D series shown here is not the full operations bill for those additional years.
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 · 3 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 Minuteman Squadrons RDT&E R-1 PE0101213F Minuteman Squadrons. Annual appropriation, not lifetime development. FY2026 includes listed reconciliation spend-plan funds; FY2027 is requested funding. Not a contract award or recurring hardware price. | $57.201M / yr | Nominal USD; source budget basis | Department of Defense Comptroller ↗ |
| FY2026 total enacted / spend plan · PB2027 | Annual Minuteman Squadrons RDT&E R-1 PE0101213F Minuteman Squadrons. Annual appropriation, not lifetime development. FY2026 includes listed reconciliation spend-plan funds; FY2027 is requested funding. Not a contract award or recurring hardware price. | $69.11M / yr | Nominal USD; source budget basis | Department of Defense Comptroller ↗ |
| FY2027 total request · PB2027 | Annual Minuteman Squadrons RDT&E R-1 PE0101213F Minuteman Squadrons. Annual appropriation, not lifetime development. FY2026 includes listed reconciliation spend-plan funds; FY2027 is requested funding. Not a contract award or recurring hardware price. | $79.313M / yr | Nominal USD; source budget basis | Department of Defense Comptroller ↗ |
Contracts & purchasing · 0 records
Award values, ceilings and purchase agreements have different meanings. These records are not added together as total spending.
No primary-source contract record verified in this review. This does not mean there are no contracts.
Connected missiles & systems
Planned replacement
LGM-35A Sentinel →Sentinel replaces the Minuteman III weapon system; delays extend legacy sustainment.
Government Accountability Office ↗
International buyers
United States · 400 · Deployed force snapshot · FY2027 overview
U.S. operational force, not a current procurement order.
DoD Comptroller ↗
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.
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.