Earlier today, the House Committee on Appropriations marked up the FY 2016 Energy and Water appropriations bill, in conjunction with the release of the FY 2016 Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee Report. The report recommends spending levels for nuclear weapons activity and programs to counter nuclear terrorism and proliferation, and provides stipulations for implementation. No amendments were offered regarding nuclear weapons or nuclear non-proliferation during the markup.
The Air Force can’t hide from the cost of nuclear weapons
by Kingston Reif The leaders of the Air Force nuclear enterprise are fond of saying that nuclear weapons are relatively cheap. Few are as committed to disseminating this message as Major Gen. Garrett Harencak, the Assistant Chief of Staff for Strategic Deterrence and Nuclear Integration. Harencak’s stump speech on nuclear weapons, which he gives frequently […]
Fact Sheet: FY 2015 Budget Request for Replacement Nuclear Delivery Systems and Warhead Life Extension Programs
by Kingston Reif The charts below outline the FY 2015 budget request for programs at the Pentagon and the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) to rebuild the nuclear triad and its associated warheads and their supporting infrastructure. The charts below do not include all of the government programs associated with operating, sustaining, and modernizing U.S. […]
In the Shadow of the Nuclear Modernization Mountain, Nuclear Weapons Budget Ripe for Savings
by Kingston Reif Last week, Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Martin Dempsey previewedthe Fiscal Year (FY) 2015 Pentagon budget request. Additional details are not scheduled to be released until Tuesday (March 4), but the broad outlines of the request are already clear. And despite cuts to many […]
Fact Sheet: Global Nuclear Weapons Inventories in 2014
Prepared by Lesley McNiesh Updated by Justin Bresolin, Sam Kane, and Andrew Szarejko CHART: Global Nuclear Weapons Inventories, 2014 Nuclear weapons programs are generally shrouded in secrecy and all of the totals listed above should be considered estimates. The numbers in the chart above are based on the most recent available estimates from the Bulletin […]