low-yield nuclear weapon Archives - Maritime Shipping News

Pentagon Says Shipbuilding Money Routed to Border Barrier Was Early to Need, Shipyard Disagrees

19 February 2020

Amphibious assault ship Tripoli (LHA-7) sails the Gulf of Mexico during builder’s trials held in July 2019. HII Photo

THE PENTAGON — The Defense Department justified redirecting shipbuilding funds to pay for border barrier construction by saying the yards don’t currently have the capacity to spend the money, a Pentagon spokesman told reporters. At least one shipbuilder disagrees.

Last week, the Department of Defense unveiled a plan to reroute $1.5 billion from two major shipbuilding programs and...

https://news.usni.org/2020/02/19/pentagon-says-shipbuilding-money-routed-to-border-barrier-was-early-to-need-shipyard-disagrees

Pentagon Confirms Low-Yield Nuclear Warhead on Ballistic Missile Sub

4 February 2020

Ohio-class ballistic-missile submarine USS Tennessee (SSBN-734) gold crew returns to its homeport at Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, Georgia, following a strategic deterrence patrol on Jan. 11, 2020. US Navy Photo

The Pentagon acknowledged Tuesday it had deployed at least one low-yield nuclear warhead on a U.S. Navy nuclear ballistic missile submarine.

Last week, The Federation of American Scientists published a report detailing their belief Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine USS Tennessee...

https://news.usni.org/2020/02/04/pentagon-confirms-low-yield-nuclear-warhead-on-ballistic-missile-sub

House Passes Fiscal Year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act on Party Lines

12 July 2019

The full House of Representatives passed its version of the Fiscal Year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act on a strict party-line vote.

The policy bill, which provides lawmakers a means for detailing their defense-related priorities, provides funding and regulatory guidance to the Pentagon. The bill passed on a 220-197 vote, with no Republicans supporting the measure.

“For the previous 58years, the NDAA process exemplified the bipartisan tradition and collaboration envisioned by the...

https://news.usni.org/2019/07/12/house-passes-fiscal-year-2020-national-defense-authorization-act-on-party-lines

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

13 June 2019

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

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).

Support for and arguments against the strategic...

https://news.usni.org/2019/06/13/house-committee-votes-to-prohibit-low-yield-nuclear-weapons-on-submarines

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

11 June 2019

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.

The HASC marked the Fiscal Year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act with $632.9 billion in DoD base spending,...

https://news.usni.org/2019/06/11/funding-for-low-yield-nukes-could-be-sticking-point-in-budget-bill-debate

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

4 June 2019

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.

The Democratic majority on the strategic forces subcommittee included language in...

https://news.usni.org/2019/06/04/support-for-low-yield-nukes-on-subs-splits-along-party-lines

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

25 April 2019

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.

David Trachtenberg, the Pentagon’s deputy...

https://news.usni.org/2019/04/25/official-u-s-far-behind-china-russia-in-modernizing-nuclear-arsenal

Pentagon Developing Low-Yield Nuclear Cruise Missiles For Submarines

3 April 2019

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.

Both Russia and China are making...

https://news.usni.org/2019/04/03/42398

STRATCOM Commander Wants to Put Low Yield Nuclear Missiles on U.S. Submarines

28 March 2019

An undated artist’s rendering of the planned Columbia-class submarine. Naval Sea Systems Command Image

CAPITOL HILL – If the U.S. opts to develop low-yield nuclear missiles, expect the Navy to deploy these weapons as part of the nation’s undersea nuclear deterrent, the commander of U.S. Strategic Command told lawmakers Thursday.

If developed, the U.S. low-yield nuclear weapons would fall within limits set by the New START nuclear arms treaty, Air Force Gen. John Hyton, commander of U.S. Strategic...

https://news.usni.org/2019/03/28/42238