The Government Accountability Office (GAO), the independent audit and evaluation agency of the US Congress , released its annual report on major US weapons programs on June 8. Bloomberg quoted the report as saying that the Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) may not be deployed by the expected May 2029 deadline and will have to be pushed back to April-June 2030.
Graphic image of Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile
The $96 billion program, led by contractor Northrop Grumman to modernize the U.S. nuclear arsenal, has reportedly suffered from numerous planning flaws and the contractor is evaluating a possible timeline adjustment.
Sentinel’s development phase was extended from 106 months to 118 months. The delay was due to lack of human resources, delays in the licensing process, confidential IT infrastructure challenges, and supply chain disruptions.
The GAO report found that more than half of the 26 weapons systems that have not yet been deployed are behind schedule. The cost overruns over the past two years for the 35 major weapons systems studied were $37 billion.
The two new planes that will be used to transport the president have developed cracks due to corrosion, the report said. About half of the cracks have been repaired as of December 2022, and the rest will be fixed by this summer. The first plane is scheduled to be delivered by Boeing as early as September 2027, later than the original September 2024 date.
On the other hand, the progress of building Virginia-class submarines continues to be affected, and the US Navy estimates that building a Virginia Block V boat will take "more than two years longer than reported last year".
For the Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier program, the total cost for four ships has increased from $45.7 billion to $49.2 billion.
Meanwhile, the first of three Zumwalt stealth destroyers was declared ready for combat in April, six years behind schedule. The remaining two are still behind schedule. Each of these advanced warships costs about $9.6 billion.
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