Sentinel LSS ready for next phase after passing CDR. Credit: Northrop Grumman.

Northrop Grumman and the US Air Force (USAF) have successfully completed a critical design review (CDR) for the Sentinel Launch Support System (LSS).

The system will now advance to development, testing, and qualification stages.

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The LSS will be constructed in Roy, Utah and subsequently deployed at Vandenberg Space Force Base, marking crucial progress for the Sentinel Weapon System.

The Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) is designed to replace the ageing LGM-30 Minuteman III for USAF.

The LSS will serve as a digital command and control infrastructure, supporting both test and operational launches throughout the Sentinel programme’s duration.

Its CDR milestone advances the programme towards launch readiness, with software and system integration improvements enhancing mission-critical capabilities.

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Northrop Grumman vice president and strategic deterrent systems general manager Sarah Willoughby said: “The successful completion of the CDR means we can now build, test, and qualify the system that will ensure the US Air Force can reliably say, ‘Go for launch.’

“By advancing the Sentinel programme, we are addressing one of the nation’s most critical deterrence missions, providing resilient and dependable capabilities to safeguard our country’s future.” 

The military name of Sentinel ICBM is LGM-35A Sentinel. Previously known as the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD), the missile is being developed by Northrop Grumman in collaboration with Air Force Global Strike Command for the USAF.

Initiated in 2014, the Sentinel programme envisions deploying 400 new missiles, upgrading 450 launch silos, and modernising over 600 facilities across six states, covering approximately 40,000 square miles.

This missile system will incorporate digital engineering technologies coupled with a modular open system architecture.

With an anticipated range exceeding 5,500km, the Sentinel ICBM can reach targets worldwide within 30 minutes post-launch following a parabolic trajectory.

Earlier in 2025, Northrop Grumman and the USAF conducted a full-scale qualification static fire test on the ICBM’s stage-one solid fuel rocket motor.

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