ABSTRACT

The US plans to renew its nuclear triad – its fleet of nuclear

bombers, ballistic-missile submarines, and land-based ICBMs

and their nuclear warheads – in full in the coming years. The

airborne part of the nuclear force will retain some B-52 and B-2 bombers but will largely consist of 100 new B-21 strategic

aircraft (although not all of them may be produced for nuclear missions), equipped with more than 1,000 new nuclear-armed

cruise missiles as well as upgraded bombs. The land-based leg

will consist of 400 new ICBMs to replace the existing Minuteman III missiles. The seaborne leg of the triad will rest on 12 new

Columbia-class SSBNs. Seven types of nuclear warhead will be part of the nuclear arsenal in support of these new delivery

platforms.