Northrop Tests Stage-One Solid Rocket Motor for Sentinel ICBM

Northrop Grumman conducted its first full-scale static test fire of the Sentinel stage-one solid rocket motor at the company’s test facility in Promontory.

This development test will further prove the Sentinel team's design approach and gain confidence to move to the next stage of testing. The motor fired for the anticipated duration and met performance parameters and objectives within expected ranges.

The Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) weapon system is the U.S. Air Force’s program to modernize the land-based leg of the strategic triad, replacing the Minuteman III system that has been in service for more than half a century.

The Sentinel missile features a new-design three-stage booster, with Northrop Grumman producing stages one and two.