Tag Archives: low-yield nuclear weapon

House Committee Votes to Prohibit Low-Yield Nuclear Weapons on Submarines

House Committee Votes to Prohibit Low-Yield Nuclear Weapons on Submarines

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The Ohio-class guided-missile submarine USS Michigan (SSGN-727) arrives in Busan for a regularly scheduled port visit while conducting routine patrols throughout the Western Pacific. US Navy Photo

This post was updated to show the committee passed the draft version of the Fiscal Year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act.

The House Armed Services Committee added several provisions to its annual defense authorization bill, but the among most contentious was if the Pentagon should develop a low-yield nuclear weapon to deploy on nuclear ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs). Read More →

Funding For Low-Yield Nukes Could be Sticking Point in Budget Bill Debate

Funding For Low-Yield Nukes Could be Sticking Point in Budget Bill Debate

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An unarmed Trident II D5 missile launches from the Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine USS Nebraska (SSBN-739) off the coast of California. US Navy Photo

WASHINGTON, D.C. – House Armed Services Committee members on both sides of the aisle have different defense spending priorities but there’s not much daylight between Republicans and Democrats on the final topline spending number. Read More →

Support For Low-Yield Nukes On Subs Splits Along Party Lines

Support For Low-Yield Nukes On Subs Splits Along Party Lines

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A deck view, looking toward the bow, of the nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine OHIO (SSGN-726) with its missile tubes opened during precommissioning activities.

The question of whether to authorize the Navy to deploy ballistic submarines with low-yield nuclear warheads caused a House Armed Services subcommittee to approve its Fiscal Year 2020 National Defense Authorize Act mark on a rare party-line vote.

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Official: U.S. Far Behind China, Russia in Modernizing Nuclear Arsenal

Official: U.S. Far Behind China, Russia in Modernizing Nuclear Arsenal

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An unarmed Trident II D5 missile launches from the Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine USS Nebraska (SSBN-739) off the coast of California in 2008. US Navy Photo

WASHINGTON, D.C. – China and Russia had their money on winning asymmetric advantages in conventional and nuclear forces in the last decade, and now the United States is playing catch-up in modernizing its sea, air and land nuclear forces, the Pentagon’s top policy official said Wednesday. Read More →

Pentagon Developing Low-Yield Nuclear Cruise Missiles For Submarines

Pentagon Developing Low-Yield Nuclear Cruise Missiles For Submarines

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A deck view, looking toward the bow, of the nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine OHIO (SSBN-726) with its missile tubes opened during pre-commissioning activities. The submarine, built by General Dynamics Corp., carries Trident C-4 (UGM-96) submarine-launched ballistic missiles.

The Pentagon is in the early stages of developing low-yield submarine-launched nuclear-tipped cruise missiles, a senior Department of Defense official told lawmakers Wednesday.

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