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 […]
A Brief on President Biden’s Brief FY 2022 Budget Request
By John Isaacs On April 9, the Biden administration released a budget outline for the upcoming fiscal year as a preview to its full request which is delayed as is typical in a transition year. While the details in the “skinny budget” are sparse, the administration has provided topline numbers. The White House will request $753 billion […]
China Is Not the New Soviet Union
By John Isaacs Despite the massive superiority of American military forces over China by most major metrics, there is a rising clamor in Washington, D.C., appealing for a substantial increase in the Biden military budget to confront a resurgent China. However, the United States has a substantial lead in key capacities, such as total annual […]
Fact Sheet: Disposal of Weapons-Grade Plutonium: Current Plans and Controversy
Between 1944 and 1994, the U.S. government produced 99.5 metric tons of plutonium for use in an estimated 70,000 nuclear weapons. Today, roughly 80% of the U.S. nuclear arsenal has been discarded, and the United States is struggling to dispose of the surplus plutonium. Currently, a total of 61.2 tons of plutonium is declared excess […]
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?
