The U.S. Air Force and Northrop Grumman have vertically stacked the first inert LGM-35A Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, bringing the next-generation nuclear deterrent programme a step closer to flight testing planned for 2027. The Pathfinder event was carried out in an operational orientation and confirmed the missile’s design maturity, as well as the readiness of critical subsystems and handling procedures.
The four-month integration and handling campaign involved the Air Force Test Center’s 719th Test Squadron alongside Northrop Grumman and followed a first flight test design review. It also verified the missile stages, propulsion elements and shroud before the system was de-stacked again after the ground exercise. The milestone supports the programme’s schedule for initial operational capability in the early 2030s, even as Sentinel replaces the ageing land-based leg of the U.S. nuclear deterrent.