Pentagon Says Northrop Shares Blame for ICBM’s 81% Cost Increase
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By Anthony Capaccio
July 24, 2024 at 12:00 PM EDT
The Pentagon and the top House Democrat on defense policy have called out Northrop Grumman Corp. for a share of the blame for a projected 81% increase in the cost of the new Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile program to at least $141 billion.
“Appropriate steps have been taken consistent with the terms of the Air Force’s contract with Northrop Grumman to address shortfalls in contract performance with a continued focus on accountability,” the Pentagon said in a statement to Bloomberg News. “Going forward, the government and industry will both have to be part of the solution.”
A US official following the program said the carefully worded statement underplayed internal Pentagon criticism of what’s seen as poor performance by Northrop contributing to cost growth and schedule delays for the complex launch and command facilities needed to operate the new nuclear-armed missiles. The company was hampered by severe hiring shortages in the first three years, according to the official, who asked not to be identified discussing the sensitive matter.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-07-24/northrop-grumman-faulted-by-pentagon-for-role-in-icbm-s-141b-cost?sref=IYQ5mP1s
