Comment:  Modeling and digitally simulating every aspect of a complex engineering design ahead of creation and test of the actual hardware is taking a giant leap forward with the Sentinel project.  This may be the largest contribution, more than defense of the nation, because it is happening now ahead of Sentinel going online.  Technologies learned  and applied will branch over to other complex developments -- this will be a huge deterrent as these complex projects emerge with highest levels of success .  This takes the old carpenter's advice to new depths:  "Measure twice, cut once."

https://www.airandspaceforces.com/digital-tools-cybersecurity-sentinel-icbm/

Sept. 22, 2025 | By Matthew Cox

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Northrop has invested $13.5 billion over the past five years in infrastructure and research and development for advanced manufacturing, much of it for Sentinel and the new B-21 bomber, said Ben Davies, corporate vice president and president of defense systems at Northrop.

Most of Northrop’s investment into Sentinel has gone into manufacturing and infrastructure capabilities, Davies said. The firm has added 30 million square feet of manufacturing to support solid rocket motor manufacturing and produce the subsystems required for the Sentinel.

The firm has also spent $2 billion to develop the “digital ecosystem” necessary to accurately model, analyze and evaluate “every aspect of those systems thousands and tens of thousands of times before we bend metal,” Davies said.

With Sentinel, “we’re now starting to see the models come to life, and we’ve now had the opportunity to prototype and test every stage of the missile,” Davies said. “And they very much performed as we expect them to, which gives us confidence as we push forward on the path to get that program into flight test.”

Northrop’s digital model-based system engineering approach will help the program become more efficient and lead to future cost-savings, Davies said.

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“Sentinel is arguably one of the largest, most complex programs we as a nation have ever taken on,” said Davies. “It’s not just replacing the 400 on-alert missiles we have today in Minuteman, but it’s really a replacement for all of the ground infrastructure which includes nearly 500 sites across 30,000 square miles across five states.”

Beyond the sweeping scale, there is also a digital aspect of that new infrastructure that Northrop is managing.

“A unique aspect of Sentinel is that our infrastructure is very much a part of our weapon system, and so we are actively expanding the digital thread on Sentinel to include our infrastructure,” Davies said. And that means not just analyzing and optimizing how that infrastructure will perform, and it’s very important it does perform because it provides critical aspects of the performance of the weapon system.”