Senior Policy Director John Erath wrote an op-ed in Just Security about the nuclear sea-launched cruise missile (SLCM-N) and why it is not worth its cost.
Reviving the nuclear-armed sea-launched cruise missile not only goes against sound military doctrine, it also undermines the basic national interests the United States Navy has always protected. So why do some in Congress insist on bringing it back?
Throughout its history, the U.S. government has considered a strong navy to be a vital component of national security. Freedom of navigation in peacetime and control of sea lanes in times of war have been cornerstones of security strategy since the nation’s founding. As John Adams, considered one of the founders of the U.S. Navy, wrote: “Floating Batteries and Wooden Walls have been my favorite System of Warfare and Defence for this Country… Americans in general… begin to look to that source of Security and Protection.” Read more
