OGDEN, Utah, Feb. 4, 2023 (Gephardt Daily) — The U.S. Air Force has selected Boeing to provide guidance systems support for the intercontinental ballistic missile in a contract worth up to $1.6 billion over 16 years.
Boeing will maintain the around-the-clock readiness and accuracy of Minuteman ICBM guidance systems into the late 2030s primarily at its Ogden, Utah, and Heath, Ohio, facilities, the company stated in a news release.
Boeing built the Minuteman ICBM guidance systems, which have logged more than 40 million hours of continuous operation, company officials said.
“We built the Minuteman’s guidance system, so no one knows it like Boeing,” said Ted Kerzie, program director of Strategic Deterrence Systems. “Our highly specialized facilities and top-flight engineers enable us to sustain it with unmatched quality and precision.”
The ICBM weapon system has served as the backbone of the U.S. nuclear triad since the inception of strategic deterrence, the release states. Boeing is the only company that has continuously supported every ICBM subsystem — guidance, ground, propulsion and re-entry — over the lifetime of the system, company officials said.
“We look forward to continuing our partnership with the Air Force on this all-important mission,” Kerzie said.
