The Defense Department has decided to continue the modernization of the land-based leg of the nuclear triad through a program called Sentinel, despite a Nunn-McCurdy breach which occurred when the program exceeded its baseline cost. The Nunn-McCurdy Amendment was introduced in 1983 to prevent cost overruns in U.S. weapons procurement programs. When a breach occurs, a program must be terminated unless the undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment certifies that the program meets specific criteria to continue.
The undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment, William A. LaPlante, led a review to determine if the Sentinel program meets the established criteria to continue following the breach. He concluded that the program remains essential to U.S. national security and is the best option to meet the needs of warfighters. The program will be restructured to address the root causes of the breach and ensure proper management structure is in place to control costs. The total program acquisition costs are estimated to be $140.9 billion, an increase of 81% compared to previous estimates.
The five criteria established by Congress that must be met for a program to continue after a Nunn-McCurdy breach include the essentiality of the program to national security, no alternatives providing acceptable capability at less cost, reasonable estimates of program costs, higher program priority, and adequate management structure. LaPlante emphasized the risks of not modernizing the land-based portion of the U.S. nuclear triad and the threats faced by the nation. Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Jim Slife reinforced the role of the nuclear triad in establishing deterrence in a complex security environment.
As part of the decision to continue with the Sentinel program, LaPlante rescinded the program’s Milestone B decision and directed the Air Force to develop a plan to restructure the program. The Air Force will work on a comprehensive plan for the program’s restructuring over the coming months to ensure the long-term success and sustainability of the ICBM force. The U.S. has about 400 Minuteman III ICBMs in silos, which have been in place since 1970. The Sentinel program aims to develop replacements for these ground-based nuclear missiles to maintain strategic deterrence.
