Our nuclear arsenal now consists of about 3,800 nuclear warheads. These include submarine and land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles as well as aircraft capable of carrying nuclear-armed air-launched cruise missiles and nuclear gravity bombs. In 2010, we abandoned plans to build the TLAM–N nuclear-armed sea-launched cruise missile after concluding this capability served a redundant purpose in the U.S. nuclear stockpile. However, in 2020, we initiated studies into a new nuclear-armed sea-launched cruise missile after concluding that the weapon would provide a “non-strategic regional presence” and “an assured response capability”. Considering the size of our defense budget, many think this weapon system is unnecessary. Lawmakers feel that installing nuclear warheads on Virginia-class attack subs would sap resources from growing the Navy’s fleet and distract from the core mission of attack submarines in the Pacific and European theaters, where they are typically laden with ship-killing, conventional Tomahawk missiles. It is estimated that a sea-launched nuclear cruise missile will cost more than $9 billion.

Pending Legislation: H.R.1554 - Nuclear SLCM Ban Act of 2021
Sponsor: Rep. Joe Courtney (CT)
Status: House Committee on Armed Services
Chair: Rep. Adam Smith (WA)

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