U.S. weapons maker Northrop Grumman Corp has announced a nationwide Ground Based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD) team, comprised of hundreds of small, medium and large companies that will be focusing on a complete replacement of the Minuteman III Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) system.

The current U.S. ground-based strategic deterrent system is reaching the end of its useful lifespan. First installed at Northern Tier Air Force bases in 1968, the Minuteman III Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBM) were intended to serve for a decade.

Northrop Grumman’s team, if selected, is ready to deliver on a national security priority to develop a modernized ICBM capability for the U.S. Air Force.

Northrop Grumman’s nationwide GBSD industry team includes Aerojet Rocketdyne, BRPH, Clark Construction, Collins Aerospace, General Dynamics, Honeywell, L3Harris, Lockheed Martin, Parsons and Textron Systems, along with hundreds of other small, medium and large businesses across the United States.

“Northrop Grumman has assembled a nationwide team of partners from across the defense, construction and engineering industries – rich in ICBM missile systems expertise – that is ready now to design, build and deliver a modernized strategic deterrence capability for our nation and its allies,” said Greg Manuel, vice president, GBSD enterprise leader, Northrop Grumman. “We are confident this GBSD team we have so carefully assembled over the past four years is positioned to deliver a safe, reliable and affordable GBSD system on schedule.”

“Our team will bring with it the capability, capacity and commitment to address this national security priority and deliver on this critical mission for our customer,” added Manuel.

On Aug. 21, 2017, Northrop Grumman was one of two companies awarded a three-year Technology Maturation and Risk Reduction contract for the new GBSD weapon system program. In July 2019, the Air Force released its final request for proposals for the next phase of the program, with an expected award date in the third quarter of 2020.

Last month, Northrop Grumman broke ground on a new facility, near Hill Air Force Base, to serve as a future headquarters for its workforce and nationwide team supporting the GBSD program, with the opportunity to add thousands of jobs in the state of Utah. Overall, the GBSD program will involve over 10,000 people across the United States directly working on this vital national security program.