Northrop Grumman wins competition to build future ICBM, by default

[Elderberry]

Space News by Sandra Erwin — December 14, 2019

The U.S. Air Force confirmed Dec. 13 that Northrop Grumman is the only bidder for the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent program to develop a new intercontinental ballistic missile.

The Air Force only received one proposal in response to a solicitation for “GBSD engineering and manufacturing development and early production and deployment,” Air Force spokeswoman Ann Stefanek said in a statement. “The Air Force will proceed with an aggressive and effective sole-source negotiation. We remain on track for a contract award in the fourth quarter of Fiscal Year 2020.”

The GBSD is an estimated $63 billion 20-year program to replace more than 400 aging Minuteman 3 intercontinental ballistic missiles. It was expected to be a two-horse race between Northrop Grumman and Boeing. But Boeing decided to drop out after it concluded that Northrop Grumman’s grip on the solid rocket motors market would give it an overwhelming pricing advantage it could not compete against.

“Boeing is disappointed we were unable to submit a bid to the GBSD solicitation,” the company said in a statement Dec. 13.

Boeing had unsuccessfully pleaded with the Air Force to compel Northrop Grumman to form a “national team” and include Boeing it its bid. In the Dec. 13 statement, Boeing said it “continues to support a change in acquisition strategy that would bring the best of industry to this national priority.”

More: https://spacenews.com/northrop-grumman-wins-competition-to-build-future-icbm-by-default/