Video Above Apache Attack Helos & B-21 Stealth Bombers Could Share Common Computing Tech
By Kris Osborn – Warrior Maven
(Washington, D.C.) Could the Air Force’s new ICBM arrive as soon as 2026? Several years earlier than may have previously been projected? Maybe, according to an Air Force report citing senior service weapons developers emphasizing the need for the emerging Ground Based Strategic Deterrent new ICBM.
The Northrop Grumman program, now under contract and on track, had been slated to appear on the operational scene by the end of the decade, but now perhaps earlier.
“We’re looking at GBSD starting in ’26, finishing in ’36. Cheyenne (Wyoming) will be first, Malmstrom (AFB) will be second, and Minot (AFB) will be third. That is going to have to move forward because that is critically important for the country’s defense,” Sen. Jon Tester (D -MT) Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, said in an Air Force report.
Tester accompanied Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Charles Brown on a visit to Malmstrom Air Force Base to assess the installation and discuss force modernization. Naturally, given the role this part of the U.S. plays in strategic nuclear defense, with ICBM silos spread across Montana, Wyoming and North Dakota, nuclear weapons modernization was also a key point of emphasis.
“A safe, secure and reliable nuclear deterrent allows the nation to negotiate from a position of power, provides the United States and our allies with an umbrella of protection, and discourages aggression worldwide,” Brown said. “The advantage of global strike provides a critical backstop for our diplomats and reassurance to our allies and partners. Regardless of the aircraft, weapon, or system, we must modernize in order to maintain our strike capability… anytime, anywhere.”
