As the zenith era of Minuteman III continues to descend gradually, the Air Force is now scouring for a viable reentry vehicle for its contemporary successor.

The US Air Force issued a solicitation notice seeking the Next-Generation Reentry Vehicle (NGRV) for the future American Ground-Based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD) weapon system.

NGRV is that maneuverable part of the intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) that carries the payload—meaning the nuclear warhead—autonomously tracks ground targets, can shift trajectories during the flight phase, and “reenter” the atmosphere once the lethal projectile has been released.

Posting a request for information on Wednesday, the Department of Defense (DoD) is kicking off its market research and acquisition efforts, aiming to award contract/s for future reentry vehicles by fiscal 2026.