Research Analyst Monica Montgomery co-authored an op-ed in Defense One making the case against a new nuclear-armed sea-launched cruise missile. “President Joe Biden’s first real test of his commitment to reducing the role of nuclear weapons in U.S. national security strategy and trimming the bloated nuclear weapons budget is imminent. The administration released an initial topline version of its […]
Fact sheet: U.S. Ballistic Missile Defense
UPDATED: June 12, 2023 Ballistic missile defense systems seek to defend a given area from attack by locating and tracking an incoming ballistic missile and then launching an interceptor to destroy the missile before it can reach its target. All U.S. interceptors are made up of a booster rocket and a kill vehicle. While most […]
3 Reasons Why the United States Doesn’t Need ICBMs
As a part of the $1.5 trillion nuclear modernization plan, the Air Force plans to replace the land-based leg of the nuclear triad with a completely new ICBM, the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent. But do we actually need these ground-based missiles?
Modernizing the Triad
The United States is projected to spend $1.5 trillion (before inflation) to overhaul its nuclear arsenal by rebuilding each leg of the nuclear triad and its accompanying infrastructure. Here’s a breakdown of the costs of some of the biggest line items.
The Nuclear Triad
The U.S. nuclear arsenal comprises thousands of nuclear weapons and three methods of delivery, sometimes called “legs.”
