- Lockheed Martin received a $453.9 million contract modification for continued development of the Mk21A reentry vehicle, bringing the total to $1.48 billion.
- The Mk21A is part of the U.S. Air Force’s future ICBM system and is being developed using advanced digital engineering tools.
The United States Department of War has awarded Lockheed Martin Corp. an additional $453.9 million for the ongoing development of the Mk21A reentry vehicle, a central component of the Air Force’s future intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) system.
The contract modification (P00032), announced this week, increases the total value of Lockheed Martin’s work on the program from $1.028 billion to approximately $1.483 billion. The Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, remains the contracting authority under award number FA8219-24-C-0001.
According to a press release, the new funding will support continued development of the Mk21A design at Lockheed Martin’s facility in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania. No new funds were obligated at the time of the announcement. Work is expected to continue through September 29, 2032.
The Mk21A program is part of the U.S. Air Force’s long-term plan to modernize the nuclear triad, replacing aging Minuteman III components with more reliable, secure, and capable systems. The reentry vehicle is designed to carry a nuclear payload through the final phase of ICBM flight and deliver it to its target with high precision.
Lockheed Martin said it is using digital engineering tools and advanced modeling techniques to mature the system’s design and streamline development. The company emphasized the importance of these tools in reducing cost, minimizing risk, and maintaining performance predictability over time.
The Mk21A will eventually be paired with the LGM-35A Sentinel missile, currently under development by Northrop Grumman as part of the Air Force’s Ground Based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD) program. The Mk21A is intended to replace legacy reentry systems and to enable more precise and survivable delivery options for the U.S. strategic nuclear arsenal.
Hill Air Force Base has not provided additional detail on timelines or specific milestones under the modification but confirmed that the overall program remains on schedule.