Northrop Grumman Resumes Work on Sentinel Project, Pursuing Accelerated Production of B-21 Stealth Bomber
Restart of Sentinel ICBM Program and Negotiations for B-21 Bomber Acceleration
The Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) program is resuming full work after a pause and restructuring triggered by a major cost and schedule breach in early 2024. The Air Force and Northrop Grumman have agreed on a new program baseline that addresses the prior cost overruns and schedule delays, allowing Northrop to restart the command and launch segment work while continuing missile element development on schedule.
The program faced an earlier pause in design and silo construction due to cost growth—civil engineering of launch facilities drove estimates up by 81%, leading to a Pentagon review and Air Force-directed restructuring. Despite these challenges, the Pentagon has decided to maintain Sentinel development, emphasizing its importance for nuclear deterrence, even as the project is now projected to be 18–24 months behind the original schedule.
Regarding the B-21 bomber, Northrop Grumman is actively engaged in negotiations with the Air Force about accelerating production of the B-21 alongside the Sentinel program restart. This production acceleration is part of broader efforts to advance critical Air Force modernization programs after the Sentinel restructuring.
The Sentinel program remains expensive, with procurement alone now estimated at $141 billion plus substantial lifetime operating costs. In contrast, the B-21 program, while still in development, is expected to contribute up to 10% of Northrop Grumman's total revenue in the future, but this is still uncertain.
In summary:
| Program | Current Status | Key Details | |--------------------|---------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------| | Sentinel ICBM | Resumed full work after restructuring; new baseline agreed | Prior pause due to cost (+81%) & schedule breaches; restructuring ongoing; 18–24 months delay; progress required by 2033 fielding mandate | | B-21 Bomber | Negotiations underway to accelerate production | Part of Air Force modernization; parallel progress with Sentinel program restart |
This status reflects the Pentagon and Air Force balancing cost, schedule, and strategic deterrence requirements while continuing large-scale nuclear modernization programs. The Air Force and Northrop Grumman are also discussing alternatives and options to accelerate the Sentinel program, with the goal of maturing the command and launch segment to be on pace with the other two elements of the Sentinel program.
The Air Force and Northrop Grumman are also discussing alternatives to accelerate the Sentinel program, with the goal of having the command and launch segment technology advanced on par with the other two elements of the Sentinel program. In addition to the negotiations for B-21 bomber production acceleration, the space force is also considering the development of new technology to further enhance the capabilities of the Sentinel program.
