Last week, the U.S. Air Force announced it might extend the service life of the Minuteman 3 missiles until 2050 to maintain the ground nuclear deterrent force until the Sentinel design is completed. Documents indicate that spending on Sentinel development for 2026 has been reduced by $2.85 billion after a program review. However, no new funding was secured for missile purchases in the budget. Additionally, a nominal amount of $0.742 million was listed separately, simply due to adjustments to previous upgrades. Last year, the Pentagon acknowledged that the cost of the Sentinel program exceeded initial estimates by 81%, reaching nearly $141 billion. The largest increase is attributed to military procurement and construction, including the conversion of Minuteman 3 launch silo infrastructure.
