ICBM Act
The Investing in Children Before Missiles Act of 2025 (ICBM Act) would pause the Air Force’s Sentinel ground-based strategic deterrent program, extend the life of the current Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) to at least 2050, and redirect some defense funds toward the Department of Education. Specifically, it would transfer all Sentinel-related research, development, testing, and evaluation funds (already available as of enactment) from the Department of Defense to the Department of Education to support Title I programs, and transfer W87-1 warhead modification funds from the National Nuclear Security Administration (part of the Department of Energy) to the Department of Education as well. The bill also prohibits obligating or expending funds in fiscal year 2026 for Sentinel or W87-1 activities. In addition, the bill requires an independent study by the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) to assess whether extending Minuteman III to 2050 or beyond is preferable to continuing with Sentinel, including a comprehensive set of analyses on costs, technology options, life-extension methods, alternative warhead/configuration scenarios, and potential impacts on strategic stability and deterrence. The NAS study must be completed with a final report to the Department of Defense within 180 days (unclassified, with a possible classified annex) and to Congress within 210 days, accompanied by a summary in unclassified form.
Key Points
- 1Pause Sentinel and extend Minuteman III: The Sentinel program would be paused and reevaluated; Minuteman III would have its operational life safely extended to 2050 or beyond.
- 2Redirect funding to education: All Sentinel-related DoD RDT&E funds and all W87-1 warhead modification funds at the time of enactment would be transferred to the Department of Education to support part A of title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA).
- 3Prohibition on use of funds: For fiscal year 2026, none of the funds authorized or available for Sentinel or W87-1 may be obligated or expended.
- 4NAS independent study: The Secretary of Defense must contract with the National Academy of Sciences to study the extension of Minuteman III to 2050 or beyond, including extensive analyses (costs, technology integration, life-extension methods, testing, alternative configurations such as Trident II in Minuteman silos, and effects on strategic forces).
- 5Reporting and safeguards: The NAS study results must be reported to the Secretary of Defense within 180 days and to Congress within 210 days (unclassified, with a possible classified annex). The study excludes participation by certain Air Force personnel connected to Sentinel, and covers a wide range of potential impacts on deterrence and force structure.