The Air Force has issued a request for proposals (RFP) to replace the nation’s aging Ground Based Strategic Deterrent intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) system. The July 16 RFP addresses the plan for the new system’s engineering and manufacturing development phase, with five production lot options to produce and deploy the system.
Two contractors — Boeing and Northrop Grumman — will compete for the new contract. Both are now involved with the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent system’s technology maturation and risk reduction phase.
The new system would replace the Minuteman III system that has been in place since the mid-1960s.
“There is no margin to do another service life extension program on Minuteman III, because not only would it be ore expensive than developing GBSD, but you would not have the resiliency in the capability because you would not have the modern equipment, you would not have the actual capabilities from a functional range point of view [or] warhead capability,” said Ellen Lord, undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment.
