Jane Edwards
Northrop Grumman and the U.S. Air Force completed the integrated baseline review for the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent intercontinental ballistic missile program under an engineering and manufacturing development contract awarded in September.
“Early-on, we worked with the Air Force, shoulder-to-shoulder in a virtual setting, to engage at a deeper level and share critical insights throughout IBR to mitigate risks, arrive at a common baseline, and ultimately save time,” Steve Lunny, vice president of the GBSD program at Northrop, said in a statement published Wednesday.
The review involves the establishment of schedule and cost baseline, risk identification and development of mitigation plans within the first 180 days of contract award.
The potential $13.3 billion GBSD EMD contract covers weapon system design, test and evaluation, qualification and nuclear certification to replace the country’s aging ICBM system.
The Air Force has given the GBSD program the e-Series status for using digital engineering techniques to accelerate development timelines and model virtual designs. The service expects the program to achieve initial operational capability by 2029.
