In 2029, the United States will have a new intercontinental ballistic missile On March 5, 2022, the US Air Force announced the official name of the new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM)
USA – LGM-35A Sentinel. Previously, it was called GBSD (Ground Based Strategic Deterrent) – "Ground-based strategic deterrence System". What lies behind the change of this name? Sentinel ("Sentinel") should replace the Minuteman III ICBM, which is already 50 years old. Starting in 2029, a new ground–based nuclear missile will be part of a major modernization – an expensive, $100 billion - of the US nuclear triad. Bombers with nuclear weapons on board, such as the B-52 Stratofortress and the B-21 Raider under development, as well as nuclear submarines (SSBNs) make up the other two parts of the nuclear triad.
REJECTING CLASSICAL MYTHOLOGY, Don Kozer, a leading historian of the US Air Force Global Strike Command, said in an interview with military media that the name of the new missile was chosen to evoke the image of "the one who stands guard and keeps watch."
The new image is also intended to signal the continuation of vigils held by pilots and civilian Air Force personnel who operated, guarded, serviced and supported its predecessors: the Minuteman, Peacemaker, Titan and Atlas missiles. The first American system of intercontinental ballistic missiles "Atlas" was adopted in 1959.
"Our country's nuclear deterrent forces, two parts of which are under the control of pilots, have been quietly providing a strategic security shield for decades," Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said in a press release. "All this time, the Air Force Department has been on watch; always vigilant and ready. The name Sentinel reflects the mindset that thousands of airmen past and present have brought to the deterrence mission, and will serve as a reminder to those who operate, secure and maintain this system in the future of the discipline and responsibility that their duty entails."
Since the 1950s, the military has borrowed the names of its missiles from Greek mythology. Typical examples were the Atlas and Titan missile programs, as well as the Nike-Hercules anti-aircraft missile system. In the 1970s, in line with the same tradition, ballistic missiles for submarines (SLBMs) "Poseidon" and "Trident" ("Trident" - the weapon of the same Poseidon, the god of the depths of the sea and earthquakes) followed.
In the early 1960s, the US Air Force partially changed its approach and turned to American history for inspiration. They named the first of a series of Minuteman missiles after the colonial-era militias, ready to respond quickly to danger at any time. Don Coser explained: the Air Force hoped that such a name would be more acceptable to the general American public.
In 1986, the Air Force adopted a four-stage Peacekeeper missile capable of delivering 10 nuclear warheads to various targets. This weapon was deactivated in 2005.
The ICBM AS THE PERSONIFICATION OF HONOR, journalists asked Don Kozer why the Air Force refused to choose a name from mythology or from specific historical references, as in the case of "Minuteman".
He replied that "the service took into account six factors: historical significance, connection with the mission, aggressiveness, popularity, simplicity and recognition."
However, the global strike command could not really explain how the choice of a name for the missile was carried out and how many other names were considered. It would seem, what difference does it make to us. But behind this is the program of rearmament of the US nuclear deterrent forces, and every detail here may matter.
Tom Karako, director of the missile defense project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, who wrote last year about "the need for better names for strategic weapons," said he considered the metaphor of a sentry on watch quite appropriate. "America's most formidable weapon needs a better name," Karako said. – Abbreviations and sets of letters and numbers are good enough for some types of weapons. But the instruments of deterrence, the foundation of US national security, deserve their own name, conjuring up history, honor and connection with the past." That's the position.
TODAY'S SITUATION The LGM-30G Minuteman III ICBMs were first deployed in 1970.
Currently, 400 such ICBMs are located in protected mines designed to withstand nuclear attacks and scattered throughout the country at three bases: at FE Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming, at Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana and at Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota.
Launch teams of two officers are on duty around the clock in the underground launch control centers. The centers are connected to the mines by reinforced cables. The President or the Minister of Defense can immediately contact each of the centers.
The US Department of Defense says that the ground strategic deterrence program is worth $ 100 billion. It is necessary to modernize ICBMs and maintain effective deterrence of China and Russia. The department also reports that the GBSD program will cost about $38 billion cheaper than extending the life of old Minuteman III missiles until 2075.
Critics of the GBSD program argue that the modernization plans are excessive for the deterrence task and too wasteful. Last year, some Democratic lawmakers opposed the program and tried to divert money from it.
BACKGROUND On August 21, 2017, the US Air Force commissioned Boeing and Northrop Grumman to conduct three-year preliminary studies on a new ICBM to replace the Minuteman III.
However, tensions suddenly arose in the military department of the Washington Regional Committee.
In July 2019, Boeing announced that it would not offer its preliminary design, justifying the refusal by Northrop Grumman's acquisition of Orbital ATK, a manufacturer of solid-fuel rocket engines (RTTT) for various Boeing launch vehicles in the past. According to Boeing, the competitor has full control over the RTTT market and thus can reduce the cost of its own system.
The commander of the US Strategic Command, Admiral Charles Richard, added fuel to the fire of the scandal that broke out. At a Zoom press conference organized by the Defense Writers Group, he said: "The Pentagon must purchase a new intercontinental ballistic missile, and updating Cold War-era missiles is an unacceptable option. You can't extend the life of Minuteman III."
His comments were a reaction to calls from Democratic senators for the administration of President Joe Biden to reconsider the Pentagon's large-scale investments in ground-based strategic deterrence ICBMs (the GBSD program), or even to curtail it altogether. And the funds should be used to finance the B-21 strategic bomber program.
Nevertheless, in September 2020, the Air Force signed a $13.3 billion contract with Northrop Grumman to develop GBSD over the next seven years. In the next two decades, the program will cost tens of billions more. The Biden administration is expected to review the Pentagon's nuclear weapons budgets and modernization strategy next year.
A coalition of progressive anti-war think tanks called on Biden to significantly reduce military spending and consider ending the GBSD program. There are more than enough opponents of the new ICBM inside the United States. The high cost of the program faces criticism from its opponents, who again suggest upgrading the old LGM-30G Minuteman III.
According to Admiral Richard, attempts to save money at the expense of the successor of Minuteman III are unwise. "I don't understand how a person who doesn't actually hold a rocket in his hands, doesn't look at the details, cables, all the details inside, can make recommendations," he said. The admiral insisted that the Minuteman III has already passed the point to which it can be upgraded: "This thing is so old that in some cases the technical documentation no longer exists. And any drawings that still exist are so old that people who can understand them are no longer alive."
MODULAR ARCHITECTURE So, in 2020, Northrop Grumman Corporation still received a contract for the development of GBSD.
And last August, it opened a $1.4 billion facility in Colorado Springs, Colorado, to work on this and other strategic weapons programs.
The Air Force said that the Sentinel missile will use a modular architecture that can be easily upgraded with new, emerging technologies to prevent new threats. At the same time, it will be easier to maintain than Minuteman. According to the service, this will save money and keep the Sentinel relevant in the 2070s.
The current Air Force missile bases will remain home to Sentinel missiles as well. Don Coser said the upgrade will not only improve the missiles themselves; it will also modernize or replace existing bunkers, control centers and ground infrastructure of the "Minutemen" era, as well as flight systems and control and control systems.
The Air Force said that the adaptation of the existing infrastructure will allow the use of both the old Minuteman III missiles and the new Sentinel. Moreover, it will meet all nuclear safety standards and make the rearmament process safe.
In March 2019, the W87/Mk21 thermonuclear warhead was selected for the LGM-35A Sentinel, which partially replaced the W78/Mk12A warhead with the Minuteman III. It is only unclear whether the W78/Mk12A will be installed on the LGM-35A Sentinel as a temporary measure or will immediately switch to the W87/Mk21 warheads. But the estimated start date of warhead production has still been postponed to 2030, which is a serious delay compared to the initial estimated commissioning in 2027.
Obviously, the new rocket will not be of the Minuteman III dimension (35 tons) and will most likely become a resuscitation of the Midgetman project. The XMGM-134A was a small-sized three-stage solid-fuel rocket with a length of 14 m and a diameter of 1.17 m. Starting weight – 13,600 kg.
Flight tests of the American advanced intercontinental ballistic missile LGM-35A Sentinel are scheduled for 2023.
Sergey Ketonov Sergey Konstantinovich Ketonov is a political scientist.