WASHINGTON, January 19. /TASS/. The program to replace the US nuclear arsenal, including Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles, has surpassed its budget of $95.8 billion due to the COVID-19 pandemic and inflation, Reuters reported.

The report cited the US Air Force as saying that the program is now "at least 37% over a pre-pandemic cost estimate finalized in September 2020."

"The total program cost, now estimated above $131 billion, could grow further as the US secretary of defense concludes a review by the summer," the report said.

The US plans to replace the Minuteman III with the missile named Sentinel in a key phase of the overall upgrade of its nuclear forces. The Pentagon estimates that the missile won’t be deployed until 2031.