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?
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.
Brief Summary of Fiscal Year 2021 Defense and Energy and Water Appropriations Bills
By John Isaacs and Monica Montgomery In an end-of-the-year burst of energy after months of bitter disagreements and procrastination, Congress finally approved the fiscal year 2021 omnibus appropriations bill on December 21. The bill, totaling $1.4 trillion across 12 individual appropriations bills, was packaged with a $900 billion coronavirus relief bill and other various measures, totaling 5,593 pages. In a late-night session, the House took two separate votes on the measure, passing four appropriations bills, including the Department of Defense bill, 327-85 and […]
Congress is (finally) paying attention to missile defense costs and failures
By John D. Isaacs and Samuel M. Hickey In the recently completed Fiscal Year 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), Congress takes some significant steps toward reining in the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) and its wayward acquisition strategy. In the bill, Congress levels criticisms at the Pentagon’s handling of missile defense programs, reduces the missile […]
