Acquisition of the Minuteman III Propulsion Replacement Program
Abstract
The Minuteman III is a ballistic missile weapon system of intercontinental range. The purpose of the Propulsion Replacement Program (the program) is to extend the service life of the Minuteman III weapon system by remanufacturing and replacing the three solid rocket stages of its propulsion system before age-out occurs. The Air Force initiated the program in response to national guidance for strategic deterrence and defense in the DoD Planning Guidance for maintaining a strategic nuclear force. The program also responds to guidance in the 1992 National Military Strategy to continue to maintain a TRIAD to deter the threat of nuclear aggression. The Minuteman III weapon system will eventually become the only intercontinental ballistic missile component of the strategic TRIAD. The Intercontinental Ballistic Missile System Program Office (System Program Office) estimates that program research and development will cost about $331 million and that procurement will cost about $1.8 billion. The audit objective was to evaluate the overall management of the Air Force Minuteman III Propulsion Replacement Program. Because the program is in the engineering and manufacturing development acquisition phase, our objective was to determine whether management was cost-effectively developing and readying the program for low-rate initial production. In addition, we evaluated the management control program as it related to our audit objective.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 01, 2000
- Accession Number
- ADA375716
Entities
Organizations
- Office of the Inspector General, U.S. Department of Defense