New SECAF to receive first Sentinel ICBM brief Friday

Recently sworn-in Air Force Secretary Troy Meink will receive his first briefing Friday on the beleaguered LGM-35A Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile program, which is in the midst of a major restructuring.

“The fifth day into the job, I will be having my first deep dive into the Sentinel program,” he said today at a Senate Armed Services Committee posture hearing.

The nuclear missile modernization effort, which is set to replace the Cold War-era Minuteman III system, breached the “critical” cost growth threshold last year, leading the Defense Department to rescind the milestone B decision and order the Air Force to reassess the structure and requirements of the program.

“Obviously the Nunn-McCurdy led to some restructuring on the program,” he said. “What exactly that’s going to be, I’ll be working with the team, and I’m happy to get back to the committee when I get more detail on that.”

Sen. Deb Fischer (R-NE) urged Meink to quickly find a solution for the program to prevent any more cost growth that would be related to delays.

“I also don’t want to see the Air Force choose to raid Sentinel budget lines to pay for other programs because the Air Force has delayed milestone B decisions,” she said.