The American company Northrop Grumman successfully defended the project of a new promising strategic ballistic missile GBSD, which should replace the aging Minuteman III ICBM.
The project was defended back in November last year, but the company only reported it now, writes Aviation Week. Details of the development of a new ICBM were not disclosed. Under the terms of the contract, the missile must use Mk.12A and Mk.21 warheads from Minuteman-III ICBMs., in which you can place one or more nuclear charges W78 (350 kilotonn) and W87 (300 kilotonn) respectively.
Besides, the new rocket should be universal with the ability to place not only in mines, but also on mobile platforms.
About, that Northrop Grumman won a U.S. Air Force tender to develop and manufacture a new ICBM, reported in early September last year. A total of 13,3 billion. dollars.
BBC GBSD program (Ground-Based Strategic Deterrent) assumes gradual replacement from 2027 years of all 450 ICBM ground-based Minuteman-III and is estimated at 85 billion. dollars. Once adopted, the new ICBMs should be in service with the United States at least until 2075 of the year.
Minuteman III – the only ground-based intercontinental ballistic missile to date, in service with the United States.
