Delivery Systems & Nuclear Triad

The United States must maintain and modernize all three legs of the nuclear triad, including through deployment of a new air-launched cruise missile, the Air Force general nominated to lead U.S. Strategic Command said on Tuesday. “it’s essential that we always maintain a fully ready nuclear deterrent capability. There should be no doubt that the […]

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. – The U.S. Air Force revealed Sept. 19 that the service’s new B-21 strategic bomber will be named the “Raider” in honor of Jimmy Doolittle’s Raiders. The Air Force picked “Raider” after holding a service-wide contest and reviewing more than 2,100 unique name submissions. Months after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, Doolittle’s […]

The U.S. Navy and Air Force recently conducted two strategic missile tests to validate the reliability of the U.S. nuclear deterrent, U.S. Strategic Command announced Monday. An Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine, along with the Navy’s Strategic Systems Programs and a crew from the USS Maryland, on Aug. 31 conducted a demonstration and shakedown operation, which is […]

The U.S. Navy and Air Force recently conducted two strategic missile tests to validate the reliability of the U.S. nuclear deterrent, U.S. Strategic Command announced Monday. An Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine, along with the Navy’s Strategic Systems Programs and a crew from the USS Maryland, on Aug. 31 conducted a demonstration and shakedown operation, which is […]

The U.S. Air Force said Thursday that its Ground-Based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD) procurement has entered the technology maturation and risk reduction phase following the Aug. 23 approval of the program’s Milestone A. “The milestone approval was granted following a determination by the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics that the Air Force’s […]

Several major defense contractors have confirmed their intention to bid on the requests for proposals the U.S. Air Force released on July 29 for technology maturation and risk reduction operations for the Long-Range Standoff (LRSO) and Ground-Based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD) missile programs, part of the United States’ plan to modernize each leg of the nuclear […]

The U.S. Air Force on Friday released requests for proposals for technology maturation and risk reduction operations for the Long-Range Standoff (LRSO) and Ground-Based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD) missile programs, part of the United States’ plan to modernize each leg of the nuclear triad. The service plans to award up to two contracts in the fourth […]

Pat Host Defense Daily The Air Force is still determining the maximum total number of B-21s it will purchase, according to a top officer. Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC) chief Gen. Robin Rand said Thursday he recommends purchasing a minimum of 100 Long Range Strike Bombers (LRSB). He said that the maximum number of […]

Northrop Grumman on Wednesday reported $6 billion in sales in the second quarter of 2016, a 2 percent year-over-year increase, along with $517 million in net earnings, down from $531 million in the same period of 2015. The company also reported a 2 percent decline in operating income from the second quarter of 2015 to that of 2016. […]

Funding will not be a problem in the Obama administration’s plan to field a new Long-Range Standoff (LRSO) nuclear cruise missile, Lt. Gen. Jack Weinstein, Air Force deputy chief of staff for strategic deterrence and nuclear integration, said Thursday. President Barack Obama’s fiscal 2017 budget funds all of the Air Force’s nuclear modernization programs, including […]

Members of Congress and former U.S. officials continue to disagree over the necessity to field a new nuclear-armed cruise missile, the Long-Range Stand-Off (LRSO) weapon, and cited Wednesday the Russian nuclear modernization program as a factor complicating U.S. strategic deterrent needs. Subcommittee member Sen. John Hoeven (R-N.D.) spoke at a Senate Appropriations Energy and Water […]

Members of Congress and former U.S. officials continue to disagree over the necessity to field a new nuclear-armed cruise missile, the Long-Range Stand-Off (LRSO) weapon, and cited Wednesday the Russian nuclear modernization program as a factor complicating U.S. strategic deterrent needs. Subcommittee member Sen. John Hoeven (R-N.D.) spoke at a Senate Appropriations Energy and Water […]

The U.S. Navy plans to award the design contract for the Ohio replacement submarine to prime contractor General Dynamics [GD] Electric Boat by October, a service official said July 8. The Navy received Electric Boat’s proposal for the new ballistic missile submarine in May, and “we are in a very intensive review cycle right now, […]

The Navy, in partnership with the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), has completed approximately 70 percent of the production run of the W76-1 re-entry body refurbishment program, Vice Adm. Terry Benedict, director of the Navy’s Strategic Systems Programs (SSP), said on June 23 at a Peter Huessy breakfast. SSP and NNSA are working to extend […]

A group of over 90 scientists, including Nobel laureates and National Academy of Sciences members, submitted a letter Tuesday to President Barack Obama calling for U.S. intercontinental ballistic missiles to be taken off high alert to prevent accidental nuclear launch. The June 21 letter says U.S. and Russian land-based nuclear missiles, hundreds of which are […]

General Mark Welsh, outgoing Air Force chief of staff, said Wednesday that each leg of the U.S. nuclear triad will remain critical for strategic deterrence regardless of budget pressures, and that a separate account to fund the nuclear forces modernization for all three legs is worth considering. “I’m a believer in the triad,” Welsh, who […]

Dan Parsons Defense Daily The nominee to become the next Air Force chief of staff announced imminent program milestone decisions for two of the service’s nuclear modernization programs during a confirmation before a Senate panel on Thursday. Gen. David Goldfein told the Senate Armed Service Committee (SASC) that the Air Force should reach a decision […]

General Mark Welsh, outgoing Air Force chief of staff, said Wednesday that each leg of the U.S. nuclear triad will remain critical for strategic deterrence regardless of budget pressures, and that a separate account to fund the nuclear forces modernization for all three legs is worth considering. “I’m a believer in the triad,” Welsh, who […]

Dan Parsons Defense Daily Both the ground and air legs of the U.S. nuclear triad are in need of replacement and the Air Force would welcome a dedicated fund to pay for their modernization, according to Lt. Gen. Stephen Wilson, deputy Commander of U.S. Strategic Command. When the Navy made the case to Congress that […]

Both the ground and air legs of the U.S. nuclear triad are in need of replacement and the Air Force would welcome a dedicated fund to pay for their modernization, according to Lt. Gen. Stephen Wilson, deputy Commander of U.S. Strategic Command. When the Navy made the case to Congress that replacement of its Ohio-class […]

Valerie Insinna Defense Daily The Air Force will issue a request for proposals (RFP) in a matter of weeks for its next-generation ICBM, known as the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD), the Pentagon’s acquisition chief said Wednesday. “We are on track,” Frank Kendall, undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics, told lawmakers during a […]

The nonprofit Strategic Deterrent Coalition has scheduled its annual symposium for June 20-21 on the campus of the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, N.M. The organization, which says “America must avoid the tendency to understate the complexity of the specialized equipment, facilities, personnel, knowledge and expertise” necessary to sustain the U.S. nuclear deterrent, will […]

Three unarmed Trident II (D5) submarine-launched ballistic missiles were launched last week as part of a Follow-on Commander’s Evaluation Test (FCET), following two intercontinental ballistic missile launches last month and an air-launched cruise missile nuclear weapon system evaluation program test, the U.S. Strategic Command announced Monday. “These six nominal launches, all within the past 30 […]

Three unarmed Trident II (D5) submarine-launched ballistic missiles were launched last week as part of a Follow-on Commander’s Evaluation Test (FCET), following two intercontinental ballistic missile launches last month and an air-launched cruise missile nuclear weapon system evaluation program test, the U.S. Strategic Command announced Monday. “These six nominal launches, all within the past 30 […]

Valerie Insinna Defense Daily 03/18/2016 If the Navy is permitted to fund its ballistic missile submarine through a special fund, lawmakers should consider a similar mechanism for modernizing the Air Force’s legs of the nuclear triad, Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James said Wednesday. Over the next decade, the Navy and Air Force are slated […]

Pat Host Defense Daily 3/11/2016 Northrop Grumman’s Long Range Strike Bomber (LRSB) contract is backloaded to the point where the company is incentivized to get through the engineering and manufacturing development (EMD) phase as “soon as practical,” Air Force Secretary Deborah James said Monday. The Air Force is rolling out additional details on the highly […]

Northrop Grumman’s Long Range Strike Bomber (LRSB) contract is backloaded to the point where the company is incentivized to get through the engineering and manufacturing development (EMD) phase as “soon as practical,” Air Force Secretary Deborah James said Monday. The Air Force is rolling out additional details on the highly classified LRSB, or B-21, program, […]

Pat Host Defense Daily 3/4/2016 ORLANDO, Fla.–The Air Force since the spring of 2014 has been briefing appropriate congressional members and staffers on its classified Long Range Strike Bomber (LRSB) acquisition strategy and it will continue explaining itself as it moves forward, Air Force Secretary Deborah James said Friday. James’ remarks come in response to […]

The Air Force is taking steps to strengthen nuclear deterrence education and experience for the younger generation of airmen, according to Gen. Robin Rand, head of Air Force Global Strike Command. Speaking Wednesday at a House Armed Services Strategic Forces Subcommittee hearing on the Air Force’s culture of deterrence, Rand said these efforts involve finding […]

The Air Force designated the Long Range Strike Bomber (LRSB) B-21 while an artist’s rendering released Friday shows similarities to the B-2 and another experimental aircraft platform from the early days of aviation. Air Force Secretary Deborah James told reporters Friday at the Air Force Association’s (AFA) winter Air Warfare Symposium she chose B-21 after […]