US plans to spend a whopping $756bn over 10 years on nuclear weapons arsenal

The US Department of Defence is preparing for a big investment in the nuclear weapons sector. Within ten years, the Pentagon will have to spend hundreds of billions of dollars.

Here's What We Know

The cost of nuclear command, control and communications (nuclear command, control and communications, NC3) in 2023-2032 will amount to $117 billion. This means that the costs compared to the previous estimate, which was made two years ago, will increase by $23 billion.

The jump in costs is due to accelerated modernisation of nuclear deterrent components, including the replacement of the National Airborne Operations Center's E-4B and E-6B Take Charge and Move Out aircraft. Such a statement was made by the Congressional Budget Office (Congressional Budget Office).

The administration of US President Joe Biden promises to improve NC3 and increase the level of defence against cyber attacks. The White House still has time, as new nuclear weapons will not enter service until after 2030.

If $117 billion should be allocated for the NC3, the total investment in the nuclear arsenal will reach a whopping $756 billion by 2032. But that's if all budget requests are met. The reason is that much of the infrastructure, including research labs and production sites, has fallen into disrepair since the end of the Cold War. In addition, nuclear weapons, too, are undergoing comprehensive modernisation to remain operational.

U.S. nuclear weapons were developed during World War II. Since then, they have been an important component of U.S. national security. CBO believes that in the coming years, Congress needs to decide on the nuclear forces to deploy and decide to what extent they should be modernised.

Source: Defence News