US postpones first test of Sentinel missile due to cost overruns and delays

The United States has decided to postpone the first test of its new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), the LGM-35A Sentinel, for at least two years, citing significant cost overruns and delays in system development.

According to a report by Defense One, a representative from the US Air Force disclosed that the inaugural flight test of the Sentinel missile is now scheduled to occur no earlier than February 2026. This postponement comes after initial plans aimed for a test launch in December 2023.

The delay in the program has been attributed to both escalating costs and increasing “lead times for guidance computer components,” stated an Air Force spokesman. The Pentagon is currently undergoing a comprehensive review of the Sentinel program, following a substantial 37% increase in projected costs, bringing the total budget to nearly $132 billion.

The Sentinel program was initiated as a successor to the ageing LGM-30G Minuteman III ICBM, which has been in service since the early 1970s. Designed to modernize the US strategic nuclear forces, the new ICBMs are expected to be deployed starting from 2030, according to Pentagon estimates.

Upon completion, the Sentinel program aims to deploy a total of 400 ICBMs in silo launchers, with plans to manufacture a total of 634 missiles.