Northrop Grumman says full vertical assembly moves inert Sentinel ICBM closer to 2027 flight test and early-2030s nuclear alert duty

Northrop Grumman and the U.S. Air Force completed a full vertical assembly of an inert Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile at Vandenberg Space Force Base. During a four-month pathfinder event, teams transported, stacked and later disassembled the integrated stages, propulsion section and shroud to rehearse equipment and procedures. The programme has completed the critical design review for its first flight-test configuration and targets an initial launch in 2027. Sentinel is intended to replace Minuteman III, with early operational alert planned for the 2030s and service extending to about 2075.