USAF assembles inert Sentinel missile, moving with pace toward flight testing

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  • Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs
NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. (AFNS) --  

An inert LGM-35A Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile erected on a test-ped at Vandenberg Space Force Base, Calif. The vertical integration test event, called Pathfinder, demonstrated the maturity of the missile's design and verified that all critical subsystems are on track for initial flight testing in 2027. (Northrop Grumman courtesy photo)

An inert LGM-35A Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile erected on a test-ped at Vandenberg Space Force Base, Calif. The vertical integration test event, called Pathfinder, demonstrated the maturity of the missile's design and verified that all critical subsystems are on track for initial flight testing in 2027. (Northrop Grumman courtesy photo)
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 The LGM-35A Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile program reached a critical milestone by completing the vertical stacking of the inert missile at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California. The vertical integration event demonstrated the maturity of the missile's design and verified that all critical subsystems are on track for initial flight testing in 2027.

"This is more than a milestone, this integration demonstrates our commitment to moving forward with the pace necessary to modernize the ground-based leg of our nuclear triad and deliver critical capability to the warfighter,” said Gen. Dale White, director, Critical Major Weapon Systems for the Department of War.

The stacking event concluded a rigorous four-month test campaign that proved the viability of all missile stages, propulsion elements, shroud and subcomponents to be assembled into a single configuration on the test pad. The operation also verified key segments of the weapon system's operational lifecycle, confirming that all handling processes and personnel are fully capable of executing complex field assembly.

“Executing this test campaign proved that our logistics pipeline and test operations work in complete lockstep," said Maj. Gen. William S. Rogers, Air Force Portfolio Acquisition Executive for Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles. "From cross-country transport and specialized crane lifts to precision interface checks on the pad, bringing all of these elements together validated our technical baselines and proved Sentinel is ready to support the next phase of development."

In parallel with on-pad integration, the Air Force Test Center’s 719th Test Squadron completed the first flight test Design Review, confirming that the missile’s design maturity and hardware testing satisfy stringent requirements for performance, safety, and mission assurance ahead of flight testing scheduled in 2027.

Together, these achievements mark a decisive transition from digital modeling into a fully integrated system.

"Sentinel is no longer conceptual or designs for what the nation’s next-generation ICBM looks like; it’s a physical, fully integrated system that is one major step closer to being ready for flight testing,” said White. “While this is a significant achievement, we will keep driving, firmly focused on delivering a modernized, credible strategic deterrent that will safeguard the nation and its allies well into the future.”

Sentinel remains on track to field initial capability in the early 2030s, ensuring a safe, secure and credible ground-based deterrent for decades to come.