ABSTRACT

Introduction The Cold War officially ended over 20 years ago. For many people it meant they were finally free from the fear of nuclear war. The nuclear weapons and delivery systems that long protected them seemed unnecessary. This view is widespread in the United States and is illustrated by the fact that nuclear weapons development programs have fallen into a state of decay since the end of the Cold War. In effect, the United States has taken a “procurement holiday” for the past 20 years and has skipped the designing and fielding of a generation of new nuclear weapons. Instead, the United States has chosen to extend the life span of its nuclear weapons and delivery platforms rather than following 40 years of precedent-designing and building new ones. The same cannot be said for other nuclear weapons states. Nuclear powers such as Russia and China continue to regularly modernize their nuclear arsenals. The emergence of North Korea’s nuclear capability and the impending advancement of Iran onto the nuclear scene clearly demonstrate that the Cold War may be over, but nuclear weapons still play an integral role in national security. The United States must recognize that as long as other nations place great value in their nuclear weapons programs, it must do the same. As the strategic bomber force continues to age it will eventually no longer serve as a credible deterrent. Failure to modernize the nuclear bomber fleet weakens America’s long-term deterrent and may even lead to greater nuclear proliferation as allies no longer feel protected by American extended deterrence, leading them to develop nuclear programs of their own. For these and other reasons, strategic bombers remain as relevant today as they were at the height of the Cold War. They continue to play a vital role in the security of the United States and the nation’s allies. In short, the US must modernize its strategic bomber force in order to increase the nation’s flexible response deterrent and ensure the nation’s security. Only then will the country be in a position to address both current and future nuclear threats.