Boeing, Northrop Grumman Split $677Mln to Develop Next Generation ICBM

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – US defense giants Boeing and Northrop Grumman have each won individual contracts worth more than $677 million combined to develop the next generation nuclear armed missile known as the Ground-based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD) that will replace the aging Minuteman III Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM), the US Defense Department said in a press release.

"The Boeing Co., Huntsville, Alabama, has been awarded a $349,159,962 contract for Ground-based Strategic Deterrent [and] Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Redondo Beach, California, has been awarded a $328,584,830 contract," the release said on Monday. "The contracts [require the companies to] conduct technology maturation and risk reduction to deliver a low technical risk, affordable total system replacement of Minuteman III to meet intercontinental ballistic missiles operational requirements."

Combining the two awards gives a total of $677,744,792.

With the exception of existing silos and warheads, every element of the ICBM system will be modernized during the GBSD program, according to published Northrop Grumman documentation. New missiles, command and control, infrastructure and launch systems will be developed to bring improved capacity, accuracy, performance and affordability through 2075.

The awards are the result of a competitive acquisition with three offers received, the release added.