The first revamped Peacekeeper warhead (MK21 re-entry vehicle) has been deployed on a Minuteman III ICBM, according to a Northrop Grumman release. (We now find that the first SERV deployment took place in October 2006. The Air Force says it has since fielded several—actual number withheld—more.) The feat required a “major revision” on the Minuteman software, under the Safety Enhanced Re-entry Vehicle program. USAF expects to have its entire 500-strong MMIII fleet upgraded by 2012, extending the service life of the ICBMs to 2020.
For the Air Force and Space Force, an influx of additional resources could be an opportunity to accelerate a massive modernization portfolio and ramp up aircraft and satellite production, defense analysts and former officials told Air & Space Forces Magazine.
