Image source: topwar.ru
The deadlines for the implementation of the US nuclear rearmament program are constantly being pushed back and delayed. But now the opposite has happened – they decided to speed up the process.
This was announced at a conference for investors by Katie Worden, CEO of the American defense company Northrop Grumman.
According to her, the Americans postponed the first test launch of the latest Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), which is due to enter service with the US Air Force in the future. Now it is planned not in 2028, but next year.
The head of the company reported:
Now, according to her, all of them will be combined for further development and testing.
Image Source: topwar.ru
It is assumed that the Sentinel will replace the obsolete Minuteman III ICBMs, which have been in operation since the 70s of the last century, that is, for more than 50 years. This need is long overdue, but the timing of the program has been greatly delayed. At first, the first rocket launch was planned to be carried out in 2024, but, according to the February statement of the US Accounting Chamber, it was decided to make it in 2028, that is, four years later.
Image source: topwar.ru
However, the cost of rearmament is already significantly higher than originally planned. And for the next fiscal year, the White House requested $4.6 billion to further implement the program. Compared to the 2.6 billion budget allocated for this year, Sentinel intends to consume almost twice as much money in 2027.
