This Microwaves&RF article is reprinted here with permission.
The Minuteman III Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) will continue to support the U.S. Air Force and joint forces thanks to a recent contract from the Air Force to Northrop Grumman Systems Corp. The indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (ID/IQ) contract continues Northrop Grumman as the ground subsystems support contractor (GSSC) for the ICBM system. It provides for sustaining engineering, maintenance engineering, and test and measurement for work on the system through July 2039. The contract has a five-year base value of $306 million and a cumulative value of $3.8 billion over its 18-year lifetime. The work will be performed at Hill Air Force Base, UT, Vandenberg Air Force Base, CA, and other locations throughout the midwestern U.S. The U.S. Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center at Hill Air Force Base is the contracting organization.
The Minuteman III (see the figure) is a solid-fuel, three-stage ICBM for which Northrop Grumman has served as a prime contractor since 2015. The contract funds advances in electronic technologies that will improve range and accuracy, including digital and mmWave circuits and subsystems. Strategic deterrent systems division sector vice-president and general manager Greg Manuel of Northrop Grumman said: “Northrop Grumman brings proven performance, a highly skilled team of experts, and a continued commitment to ensuring Minuteman III operational readiness for the U.S. Air Force. Our team is using the latest in digital engineering and innovation to keep today’s system reliable, safe, and secure while positioning the USAF for a smooth transition to the Ground-Based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD) system over the next couple of decades.”