WASHINGTON — The Department of the Air Force on Sept. 8 awarded Northrop Grumman a $13.3 billion contract to develop the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD) intercontinental ballistic missile. The GBSD is the follow-on to the Minuteman 3 ICBM that first became operational in 1970. “Modernizing the nuclear strategic triad is a top priority of our military,” Defense Secretary Mark Esper said in a statement. “It’s key to our nation’s defense.”
The Air Force plans to deploy the GBSD beginning in the late 2020s.
In the absence of other competitors, Northrop Grumman received a sole-source contract. The $13.3 billion development phase is expected to run about eight years. The entire GBSD program is projected to be worth up to $63 billion over 20 years.
The Air Force confirmed in December that Northrop Grumman was the only bidder for GBSD after Boeing decided to drop out of the competition....MORE
