5.11.2026
Not covert anymore? Lockheed Martin unveiled its latest Intercontinental Ballistic Missile System Reentry Vehicle, dubbed Mk21A, for the US Air Force. The internet demands it release Tic Tacs too.
American aerospace and defense company Lockheed Martin unveiled its most advanced ICBM reentry vehicle system on social media. Dubbed Mk21A, the company completed a test flight of the unarmed developmental reentry vehicle. Mk21A was launched from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, over the Pacific Ocean. The test was carried out on October 9, 2026.
Next-Gen Nuclear Launcher
Per the company's blog, the test is an upgrade and modernization of its legacy Mk21 ICBM system. I is based on the Mk21 reentry vehicle that has been used on the intercontinental ballistic missile LGM-30G Minuteman III by the US Air Force. The Minuteman III has a range of about 14,000 kilometers. The development of the Mk21A was accelerated with data-driven digital engineering that utilized simulation tools and high-fidelity modeling. The prep used all available data from previous flights. Jason Watson, vice president of Strategic Reentry Programs for Lockheed Martin, remarked,
Building on flight data from our prior tests, we are directly translating real-world experience into program momentum, ensuring the Mk21A reentry vehicle delivers uncompromised performance for the Air Force."
$1 Billion-Worth Defence Contract
Lockheed Martin executed the task under a military contract with the US government that is valued at over $1 billion. The Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center awarded the contract for Mk21A in October 2023 with additional funding in November 2025. Per an online defense magazine, a critical design review of the Mk21 system will be done by March 2027.
Is It Reverse-Engineered Alien Tech?
Meanwhile, the internet can't unsee the uncanny resemblance of the rendered new ICBM retirement vehicle system’s design with UFOs. Some went as far ahead to allege that the design looks like a reverse engineering of non-human craft. Others trolled Lockheed Martin to release the infamous Tic Tac from the viral 2004 USS Nimitzincident, whose conspiracy theorists allege is an undisclosed tech by the defense firm.
Quelle: Mashable India