W78 warhead used on the Minuteman III., USAF
Warzone/The Drive: Updating America's Land-Based Ballistic Missile 'Nuclear Sponge' Is A $100B+ Waste
It's time to cut a leg off America's Cold War vintage nuclear triad and dramatically strengthen the far more relevant two that remain.
We hear a lot about "tough decisions" from Pentagon officials when it comes to procurement, even in a time of a significant defense spending boom, to the point that many of those statements seem eye-roll worthy and completely out of touch with just how much the U.S. spends on its massive national security apparatus. One of the biggest ticket initiatives currently on the Pentagon's books is the revitalization of America's nuclear deterrent, and for good reason. Selective modernization is needed, but instead of finding an efficient strategic balance that better suits the age in which we live, the Pentagon has gone with a 'kitchen sink approach,' which is wasteful, and above all else, a massive handout to defense contractors.
Read more ....
Update #1: New Nuclear Missiles’ Cost Estimate Changes Again (Defense One)
Update #2: The cost of a new ICBM is going up. Here’s why the US Air Force isn’t concerned. (Defense News)
WNU Editor: A debate on maintaining the U.S. nuclear triad is long overdue. But even with the high costs of modernizing its nuclear force, I predict nothing is going to change. And with the very real possibility of a nuclear arms race occurring with the end of the U.S. - Russia nuclear missile treaties, a probable boost in spending.
