Thursday, April 20, 2017

It Will Cost The U.S. $1 Trillion To Upgrade It's Nuclear Triad


Bloomberg: Trillion-Dollar Tab to Renew U.S. Nuclear Triad to Be Reviewed

* Congressional Budget Office assessing the 30-year expenses
* CBO report would help frame debate over modernizing arsenal

A projected trillion-dollar price tag to upgrade, support and maintain the U.S.’s three-legged nuclear arsenal over the next 30 years is likely to be confirmed in a new assessment now under way by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.

The project to modernize the air-land-sea triad of nuclear weapons was initiated under former President Barack Obama. It’s been endorsed by President Donald Trump, who’s now focused on pressuring North Korea to give up its expanding nuclear arsenal. He tweeted before taking office that “the United States must greatly strengthen and expand its nuclear capability until such time as the world comes to its senses regarding nukes.”

Most of the money wouldn’t be spent until after 2022. But the high cost of nuclear modernization -- part of what defense officials call a “bow wave” of looming spending on major weapons that will peak in coming decades -- is drawing criticism from arms control advocates and skeptics in Congress who have projected the cost of $1 trillion or more.

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WNU Editor: Only $1 trillion? Any bets that the final number will be higher.

3 comments:

D.Plowman said...

I think if they said 5 trillion you'd still say "only 5 trillion?" :P

Jay Farquharson said...

WNU Editor,

The $1 trillion is just for the warheads refurbishment.

It's not for "new" additions to the arsenal or new "legs" to carry the warheads.

That's why it's so cheap.

Anonymous said...

1 trillion? Spare change.. that's only about USD3,000 per US citizen, put it on the credit cards ;)