Controversial defense program tied to DEI-laden contractor could be in crosshairs of DOGE: 'Poster child'

The Air Force's Sentinel program, a massive intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) project serving as the successor to the Minuteman III program ensuring the future viability of the land-based leg of America's nuclear triad, has been mired in controversy and slowdowns as Northrop Grumman was awarded the development contract and the endeavor has gone from a $96 billion program to at least $141 billion in recent years. 

"The massive expansion of costs for Northrop Grumman's Minuteman III program is the case example for why poorly-scoped, blank check programs are a bad idea," a senior Republican Congressional official who works on defense policy told Fox News Digital. 

"This is bad for national security, bad for taxpayers, and Republicans will fix this mess that Biden's team created," the official added.

"When will the blank checks to cover spiraling costs end?" Tierney said. "The Sentinel ICBM program is just the latest in a long list of Pentagon programs that are over budget, behind schedule and of questionable utility."

Tierney added that he believes the "only value" of recent ICBM development is "to the defense contractors who line their fat pockets with large cost overruns at the expense of our taxpayers."

"It has got to stop," he said. 

An Air Force spokesperson told Fox News Digital that it is taking "deliberate" steps to ensure that the Sentinel program is running as cost-efficiently as possible while enhancing oversight at the same time. "We continue to advance the engineering design and maturity of the program with Northrop Grumman, working closely with the company to drive down costs and improve schedule performance," the spokesperson added.

The Air Force also pointed to a previous comment from Gen. David Allvin, Air Force chief of staff, during a symposium in March that stressed the importance of the Sentinel program.

The report also touted its minority hiring practices and stated that 25% of its employees are female, 37% people of color, 18% veterans and 8% people with disabilities. 

"Northrop's Sentinel Program is a DOGE poster child," a person close to the Trump administration told Fox News Digital. "Not only did they practice DEI, the program is ineffective, delayed, and wasting billions of taxpayer money. Musk would have a field day."

"I've seen it with my own eyes, billions of dollars spent on pricey consulting firms, grants and NGO's-the self-serving bureaucrats in Washington DC have found a million different ways to rip-off the American taxpayer," special advisor to the United States Agency for Global Media Kari Lake told Fox News Digital. 

"I'm working very closely with DOGE at the agency President Trump asked me to oversee. Our DOGE team is not political, they are practical. They know that it's not practical for the U.S. government to continue spending the way it has been. Our country won't survive unless we cut back right now, and the hard-working men and women across this country support that."

In a statement to Fox News Digital, a spokesperson for Northrop Grumman touted recent progress in the program.

Regarding DEI, the spokesperson said, "We have reviewed our policies and processes and continue to take the steps necessary to ensure compliance with the orders for the work entrusted to us. Northrop Grumman is committed to our customers' missions, delivering technologies they need to deter threats, prevail in conflicts, and strengthen national security. Underpinned by our values, we hire, promote, and pay based on merit and performance resulting in the best team to deliver for our customers."