Future ICBM Study Outbrief

Twentieth Air Force Commander Maj. Gen. Jack Weinstein told Air Force Magazine he is getting ready to brief the results of the analysis of alternatives for the Air Force’s Ground Based Strategic Deterrent capability to leadership. GBSD is the notional replacement for the Air Force’s Minuteman III ICBMs that are projected to remain in service out to 2030. Part of the analysis will detail refurbishment activities for the Minuteman fleet, to include sub components, such as new guidance sets, an upgrade to command and control components, and other improvements to the support infrastructure and missile control facilities across the Air Force’s three Minuteman wings, said Weinstein in a June 12 interview. “GBSD is an overarching system,” he said, and the AOA will also fit into efforts to “normalize” ICBM sustainment by helping identify and prioritize components for replacement as well as those for non-replacement that will transfer from Minuteman III to GBSD. Twentieth Air Force also wants to move to a construct where ICBMs are cared for much like aircraft in a normal programmed depot maintenance cycle, he said. (For more from Weinstein’s interview, read New ICBM Crew Rotation Plan Nears Beta Test.)