Northrop Grumman is building the Sentinel, the new U.S. ICBM and is the prime contractor for Minuteman III sustainment. Northrop Grumman also produces propulsion systems for the Trident II missiles.
Nuclear weapons
Northrop Grumman has sustained and modernized U.S. intercontinental ballistic missile systems for more than 65 years.[i] Under a $13.3 billion nine-year contract awarded in 2020, Northrop Grumman is building the new intercontinental ballistic missile system for the U.S., the LGM-35A Sentinel.[ii] While the Sentinel programme was initially estimated to cost $95.3 billion, its estimated costs have rose dramatically to $140.9 billion, an 81% increase, resulting in a severe breach of the Nunn-McCurdy act.[iii] The Pentagon nevertheless agreed to proceed with the Sentinel program.[iv]
Northrop Grumman is also the prime contractor for sustaining Minuteman III (the current U.S. ICBM) propulsion and ground subsystems (hardware and system modifications for ground and airborne launch control systems, launch facilities and associated infrastructure) support.[v] These contracts run until 2039 and have a potential value of $4.6 billion and $11.6 billion respectively.[vi]
Northrop Grumman subsidiary ATK Launch Systems was awarded a $86.4 million contract in 2018 for procurement of motor and component test, evaluation, engineering support, and disposal for all stages of Minuteman and Peacekeeper systems, which will run through 2026.[vii]
ATK Launch Systems is also part of the Consolidated Nuclear Security (CNS), LLC joint venture that manages and operates the Y-12 National Security Complex and, until October 2024, the Pantex Plant[viii], where U.S. nuclear weapons are assembled.[ix] The Y-12 Complex is responsible for the remanufacture of components for the B61-12 nuclear gravity bomb, and the Pantex Plant for producing high explosives, requalifying the B61 pit, and final assembly of the complete B61-12 bomb for delivery to the U.S. Air Force.[x] The Y-12 Complex and Pantex Plant also play a key role in the W88 nuclear warhead alteration (deployed on the Trident II D5 missile)[xi], the W80 life extension program (for use in the U.S. Long Range Standoff Weapon)[xii] and the W87 warhead modification (to be fielded on the new U.S. Sentinel ICBM)[xiii], through the production of weapon and uranium components, and detonators, and high explosives respectively. The contract held by CNS is potentially valued at $49.8 billion. [xiv]
Northrop Grumman also produces propulsion systems for the Trident II (D5) missiles.[xv] Northrop has several outstanding contracts for work on the Trident missiles in support of the U.S. and UK nuclear arsenals, with a combined potential value of over $1 billion.[xvi]
Under an additional $455.5 million contract, awarded in June 2022, Northrop Grumman will perform shipyard field operations, program management, systems engineering, documentation, logistics and hardware production activities in support of the Columbia and Dreadnought Fleet Ballistic Missile Program.[xvii]
Northrop Grumman is also integrating a Radar Aided Targeting System (RATS) into the B-2 Spirit Stealth Bomber, which “allows the B-2 to fully employ the B-61 mod 12 nuclear bomb”.[xviii]
[i] ICBM: Over 65 Years of Technical Leadership (no date) | Northrop Grumman. Available at: ICBM: Over 65 Years of Technical Leadership | Northrop Grumman.
[ii] CONTRACT to NORTHROP GRUMMAN SYSTEMS CORPORATION | USAspending, 8 September 2020. Available at: CONTRACT to NORTHROP GRUMMAN SYSTEMS CORP | USAspending (Accessed: 10 December 2024);
Contracts for September 8, 2020 (2020) U.S. Department of Defense. Available at: > U.S. Department of Defense > Contract (Accessed: 10 December 2024);
Sentinel – The Ground Based Strategic Deterrent (no date) | Northrop Grumman. Available at: Sentinel – The Ground Based Strategic Deterrent | Northrop Grumman (Accessed: 10 December 2024)
[iii] Stephen Losey, ‘Pentagon keeps commitment to Sentinel nuclear missile as costs balloon’, DefenseNews, 8 July 2024. Available at: Pentagon keeps commitment to Sentinel nuclear missile as costs balloon.
[iv] Ibid.
[v] Propulsion Systems (no date) | Northrop Grumman. Available at: Propulsion Systems | Northrop Grumman (Accessed: 10 December 2024); Ground Subsystems Support Contract (GSSC) (no date) | Northrop Grumman. Available at: Ground Subsystems Support Contract | Northrop Grumman (Accessed: 10 December 2012).
[vi] IDV to NORTHROP GRUMMAN SYSTEMS CORPORATION | USAspending.
Available at: https://usaspending.gov/award/CONT_IDV_FA821421D0001_9700 (Accessed: 10 December 2024);
Contracts for April 20, 2021 (2021) U.S. Department of Defense. Available at: https://www.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract/Article/2579547// (Accessed: 10 December 2024);
IDV to NORTHROP GRUMMAN SYSTEMS CORPORATION | USAspending. Available at: https://www.usaspending.gov/award/CONT_IDV_FA821421D0002_9700 (Accessed: 23 January 2025);
Contracts for July 7, 2021 (2021) U.S. Department of Defense. Available at: https://www.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract/Article/2684977// (Accessed: 10 December 2024).
[vii] CONTRACT to ATK LAUNCH SYSTEMS INC.| USAspending, 6 September 2018. Available at: https://www.usaspending.gov/award/CONT_IDV_FA881818D0001_9700 (Accessed: 10 December 2024);
Contracts for September 6, 2018 (2018) U.S. Department of Defense. Available at: https://www.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract/Article/1622674// (Accessed: 10 December 2024).
[viii] NNSA awards Pantex Management and Operating contract . Energy.gov, 13 June 2024. Available at: NNSA awards Pantex Management and Operating contract | Department of Energy; ‘PanTeXas Deterrence assumes leadership at Pantex Plant under new 20-year contract’, Amarillo Globe-News, 7 November 2024. Available at: PanTeXas Deterrence assumes leadership at Pantex Plant.
[ix] About (no date) | Consolidated Nuclear Security, LLC. Available at: https://cns-llc.us/about (Accessed: 6 December 2024);
‘Fiscal Year 2024 Stockpile Stewardship and Management Plan’, National Nuclear Security Administration (2023), pp. F-61 – F-64. Available at: FY24SSMP_FINAL_NOVEMBER_2023_0.pdf (energy.gov).
[x] ‘B61-12 Life Extension Program’ (2023). National Nuclear Security Administration. Available at: https://www.energy.gov/sites/default/files/2023-04/B61-12%20042023.pdf.
[xi] W88 Alteration 370 Program’ (2023). National Nuclear Security Administration. Available at: https://www.energy.gov/sites/default/files/2023-11/W88-ALT370_1123.pdf.
[xii] ‘W80-4 Life Extension Program’ (2023). National Nuclear Security Administration. Available at: W80-4_1123.pdf.
[xiii] ‘W87-1 Modification Program’ (2023). National Nuclear Security Administration. Available at: W87-1_1123.pdf.
[xiv] Contract No. DE-NA0001942 (2018) Energy.gov. Section J, Appendix A, Page 1. Available at: https://www.energy.gov/nnsa/downloads/contract-no-de-na0001942 (Accessed: 6 December 2024);
CONTRACT to CONSOLIDATED NUCLEAR SECURITY LLC. | USAspending’, 8 January 2013. Available at: https://www.usaspending.gov/award/CONT_AWD_DENA0001942_8900_-NONE-_-NONE- (Accessed: 6 December 2024).
[xv] Propulsion Systems (no date) | Northrop Grumman. Available at: https://www.northropgrumman.com/space/propulsion-systems (Accessed: 10 December 2024).
[xvi] CONTRACT to NORTHROP GRUMMAN SYSTEMS CORPORATION| USAspending, 1 October 2015. Available at: CONTRACT to NORTHROP GRUMMAN SYSTEMS CORPORATION | USAspending (Accessed: 10 December 2024);
Contracts for November 4, 2015 (2015) U.S. Department of Defense. Available at: > U.S. Department of Defense > Contract (Accessed: 10 December 2024);
Contracts for June 27, 2018 (2018) U.S. Department of Defense. Available at: > U.S. Department of Defense > Contract (Accessed: 10 December 2024);
CONTRACT to NORTHROP GRUMMAN SYSTEMS CORPORATION| USAspending, 10 November 2015. Available at: CONTRACT to NORTHROP GRUMMAN SYSTEMS CORPORATION | USAspending (Accessed: 10 December 2024);
Contracts for November 10, 2015 (2015) U.S. Department of Defense. Available at: > U.S. Department of Defense > Contract (Accessed: 10 December 2024);
CONTRACT NORTHROP GRUMMAN SYSTEMS CORPORATION| USAspending, 12 March 2019. Available at: CONTRACT to NORTHROP GRUMMAN SYSTEMS CORPORATION | USAspending (Accessed: 10 December 2024);
Contracts for March 12, 2019 (2019) U.S. Department of Defense. Available at: > U.S. Department of Defense > Contract (Accessed: 10 December 2024).
[xvii] CONTRACT NORTHROP GRUMMAN SYSTEMS CORPORATION| USAspending, 17 June 2022. Available at: CONTRACT to NORTHROP GRUMMAN SYSTEMS CORPORATION | USAspending (Accessed: 10 December 2024);
Contracts for June 17, 2022 (2022) U.S. Department of Defense. Available at: > U.S. Department of Defense > Contract (Accessed: 10 December 2024).
[xviii] Northrop Grumman Continues B-2 Spirit Modernization. Northrop Grumman, 25 August 2022. Available at: Northrop Grumman Continues B-2 Spirit Modernization | Northrop Grumman.
Investments
Last updated: 2025-02-27 19:32:20