U.S. Air Force awards contracts to Boeing, Northrop for ICBM replacement(Reuters) - The U.S. Air Force has awarded Boeing Co and Northrop Grumman Corp separate contracts to continue work on the replacement of the aging Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile system, the Pentagon said on Friday. Though the award for the new Ground-Based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD) comes amid rising tensions with North Korea, the Air Force had asked the defense industry last summer for proposals to replace the aging ICBM system and its nuclear cruise missiles as the military moved ahead with a costly modernization of its aging atomic weapons systems. “The Minuteman III is 45 years old. It is time to upgrade,” Air Force Chief of Staff General David Goldfein said in a statement on Monday. Northrop Grumman was awarded $328 million, and Boeing $349 million over the three-year contract. The relatively small award is a milestone that would allow Boeing and Northrop to continue parallel detailed development and prototyping for the Minuteman replacement. The Pentagon’s office of Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation (CAPE) has said the total could cost the United States $85 billion. The Air Force has estimated $62 billion. Lockheed Martin Corp, Northrop and Boeing were all competing for the contract which is needed to perform the three-year technology maturation and risk reduction (TMRR) phase of Minuteman replacement. A Lockheed representative said the company was “disappointed” and looked “forward to a debrief about the selection.” Boeing’s Strategic Deterrence Systems Director, Frank McCall, said in a statement, “Since the first Minuteman launch in 1961, the U.S. Air Force has relied on our technologies for a safe, secure and reliable ICBM force.” Boeing provided the Minuteman III missile for the current ground-based nuclear ICBM system.  Northrop Grumman’s chief Wes Bush said in a statement, “We look forward to the opportunity to provide the nation with a modern strategic deterrent system that is secure, resilient and affordable.”  Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson said, “We are moving forward with modernization of the ground-based leg of the nuclear triad.”  Modernization of the U.S. nuclear force was expected to cost more than $350 billion over the next decade. The United States plans to replace its aging systems, including bombs, nuclear bombers, missiles and submarines. Some analysts estimated the cost at $1 trillion over 30 years. “Our missiles were built in the 1970s. Things just wear out, and it becomes more expensive to maintain them than to replace them,” Wilson said. politicsNews
air force awards contracts boeing northrop ibm replacement reuters the air force awarded boeing co northrop grammar corp separate contracts continue work replacement aging minuteman iii intercontinental ballistic missile system pentagon said friday though award new strategic deterrent gbs comes amid rising tensions north korea air force asked defense industry last summer proposals replace aging ibm system nuclear cruise missiles military moved ahead costly modernization aging atomic weapons systems the minuteman iii years old it time upgrade air force chief staff general david golden said statement monday northrop grammar awarded million boeing million contract the relatively small award milestone would allow boeing northrop continue parallel detailed development prototyping minuteman replacement the pentagon office cost assessment program evaluation cape said total could cost united states billion the air force estimated billion locked martin corp northrop boeing competing contract needed perform technology maturation risk reduction terr phase minuteman replacement a locked representative said company disappointed looked forward brief boeing strategic deterrence systems director frank call said statement since first minuteman launch air force relied technologies safe secure reliable ibm boeing provided minuteman iii missile current nuclear ibm system northrop grammar chief wes bush said statement we look forward opportunity provide nation modern strategic deterrent system secure resilient secretary air force heather wilson said we moving forward modernization leg nuclear modernization nuclear force expected cost billion next decade the united states plans replace aging systems including bombs nuclear bombers missiles submarines some analysts estimated cost trillion years our missiles built things wear becomes expensive maintain replace wilson said politicsnews
Your task is to classify the provided input as real or fake news. Label 0 is meant for fake news, Label 1 is for real news. TEXT: U.S. Air Force awards contracts to Boeing, Northrop for ICBM replacement(Reuters) - The U.S. Air Force has awarded Boeing Co and Northrop Grumman Corp separate contracts to continue work on the replacement of the aging Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile system, the Pentagon said on Friday. Though the award for the new Ground-Based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD) comes amid rising tensions with North Korea, the Air Force had asked the defense industry last summer for proposals to replace the aging ICBM system and its nuclear cruise missiles as the military moved ahead with a costly modernization of its aging atomic weapons systems. “The Minuteman III is 45 years old. It is time to upgrade,” Air Force Chief of Staff General David Goldfein said in a statement on Monday. Northrop Grumman was awarded $328 million, and Boeing $349 million over the three-year contract. The relatively small award is a milestone that would allow Boeing and Northrop to continue parallel detailed development and prototyping for the Minuteman replacement. The Pentagon’s office of Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation (CAPE) has said the total could cost the United States $85 billion. The Air Force has estimated $62 billion. Lockheed Martin Corp, Northrop and Boeing were all competing for the contract which is needed to perform the three-year technology maturation and risk reduction (TMRR) phase of Minuteman replacement. A Lockheed representative said the company was “disappointed” and looked “forward to a debrief about the selection.” Boeing’s Strategic Deterrence Systems Director, Frank McCall, said in a statement, “Since the first Minuteman launch in 1961, the U.S. Air Force has relied on our technologies for a safe, secure and reliable ICBM force.” Boeing provided the Minuteman III missile for the current ground-based nuclear ICBM system.  Northrop Grumman’s chief Wes Bush said in a statement, “We look forward to the opportunity to provide the nation with a modern strategic deterrent system that is secure, resilient and affordable.”  Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson said, “We are moving forward with modernization of the ground-based leg of the nuclear triad.”  Modernization of the U.S. nuclear force was expected to cost more than $350 billion over the next decade. The United States plans to replace its aging systems, including bombs, nuclear bombers, missiles and submarines. Some analysts estimated the cost at $1 trillion over 30 years. “Our missiles were built in the 1970s. Things just wear out, and it becomes more expensive to maintain them than to replace them,” Wilson said. politicsNews
Your task is to classify the provided input as real or fake news. Label 0 is meant for fake news, Label 1 is for real news. TEXT: air force awards contracts boeing northrop ibm replacement reuters the air force awarded boeing co northrop grammar corp separate contracts continue work replacement aging minuteman iii intercontinental ballistic missile system pentagon said friday though award new strategic deterrent gbs comes amid rising tensions north korea air force asked defense industry last summer proposals replace aging ibm system nuclear cruise missiles military moved ahead costly modernization aging atomic weapons systems the minuteman iii years old it time upgrade air force chief staff general david golden said statement monday northrop grammar awarded million boeing million contract the relatively small award milestone would allow boeing northrop continue parallel detailed development prototyping minuteman replacement the pentagon office cost assessment program evaluation cape said total could cost united states billion the air force estimated billion locked martin corp northrop boeing competing contract needed perform technology maturation risk reduction terr phase minuteman replacement a locked representative said company disappointed looked forward brief boeing strategic deterrence systems director frank call said statement since first minuteman launch air force relied technologies safe secure reliable ibm boeing provided minuteman iii missile current nuclear ibm system northrop grammar chief wes bush said statement we look forward opportunity provide nation modern strategic deterrent system secure resilient secretary air force heather wilson said we moving forward modernization leg nuclear modernization nuclear force expected cost billion next decade the united states plans replace aging systems including bombs nuclear bombers missiles submarines some analysts estimated cost trillion years our missiles built things wear becomes expensive maintain replace wilson said politicsnews