Cowen Washington Research Group estimates the U.S. Air Force’s annual combined spending on the Ground-Based Strategic Deterrent intercontinental ballistic missile system and the B-21 bomber could reach $10.2B over the next seven years, Breaking Defense reported Wednesday.
The service’s spending on B-21 production will jump from $202M in 2022 to $4B in 2027, while R&D costs will drop from $2.8B in 2021 to $1.2B in 2027.
The Cowen analysis shows spending on the GBSD program's research and development will rise from $1.5B in 2021 to $3.07B in 2024, while GBSD production will kick off in 2027 with a $2B budget.
Northrop Grumman (NYSE: NOC) secured Tuesday a potential $13.3B contract from the U.S. Air Force to build GBSD, which will replace the LGM-30G Minuteman III ICBM system and is expected to achieve initial operational capability by 2029.
