An inert LGM-35A Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile erected on a test-ped at Vandenberg Space Force Base, Calif. The vertical integration test event, called Pathfinder, demonstrated the maturity of the missile's design and verified that all critical subsystems are on track for initial flight testing in 2027. (Northrop Grumman courtesy photo)

The Air Force and Northrop Grumman [NOC] on Monday said they recently completed a full assembly of the LGM-35A Sentinel future intercontinental ballistic missile in its “operational orientation,” citing the event as a critical milestone toward initial flight testing in 2027. The “vertical stacking” demonstration at Vandenberg Space Force Base (VSFB), California was completed in parallel with a critical design review (CDR) for Sentinel, which Northrop Grumman said confirmed “the missile’s design maturity and hardware testing meet Air Force requirements…