On December 10, the U.S. Department of Defense submitted to Congress a report on U.S. Strategic Nuclear Forces: Background, Developments, and Issues, detailing the future of U.S. Strategic Nuclear weapons. The United States, which deployed more than 12,000 nuclear warheads during the cold war, maintains 1, 550 as required by the nuclear arms reduction treaty.
During the nuclear arms race with the former Soviet Union, the United States maintained a three-in-one nuclear strike force, with 1,875 strategic nuclear weapon delivery vehicles, including long-range strategic missiles, strategic nuclear submarines and heavy long-range bombers.
Today, the United States still maintains these delivery vehicles, with strategic nuclear submarines as the mainstay, supplemented by land-based strategic missiles and long-range bombers. The Ohio-class strategic submarine currently deployed is equipped with 1,090 nuclear warheads, or 70.32 per cent of the total. 400 Minuteman III land-based strategic missiles, carrying 400 nuclear warheads, or 25.81 percent of the total. The remaining 60 nuclear warheads, 3.87 percent of the total, were deployed on B-2 and B-52 strategic bombers.
Strategic nuclear submarine
Ohio-class ballistic missile submarines in the United States peaked at 18. After the cold war, it was assessed that only 14 were needed, with the remaining four converted to conventional cruise missile attack submarines.
Currently, among the 14 strategic nuclear submarines, 12 are deployed all year round and 2 are overhauled. Each submarine can carry 24 Trident II submarine-launched ballistic missiles, but under the NUCLEAR Arms Reduction treaty, each is actually armed with only 20 missiles with a range of more than 12,000km that can be launched from under any ocean in the world.
Each Trident II missile can carry a variety of nuclear warheads, including up to eight MK-5 RV/ W88 nuclear warheads, each yielding 455,000 tons; A maximum of 14 MK-4 RV/W76 nuclear warheads with a yield of 100,000 tons each; Or up to 14 MK-4A RV/W-76-1 nuclear warheads with a yield of 90,000 tons per warhead. The missile can also carry a low yield single or multiple W76-2 tactical nuclear warheads, each yielding 5,000-7,000 tons.
1,090 nuclear warheads are on each submarine, each of which should be about 90. This suggests that only some of the 20 missiles per submarine actually carry nuclear warheads.
A new generation of the W93 warhead is under development as the original warhead is modified to extend its life, and is expected to replace the W76 and W88 warheads over the next five years. A new generation of Columbia class strategic nuclear submarines is also under development, with at least 12 under construction and expected to enter service by 2031, with 16 ballistic missile launching tubes.
Land-based strategic missiles
As of September 1, 2020, the United States has 675 land-based ballistic missiles, with 400 Yurts III missiles in actual combat readiness, each carrying only one nuclear warhead, for a total of 400 nuclear warheads.
The i-iii missiles, which have a range of more than 13,000 kilometers, are located at three bases, including warren air force base in Wyoming, malmstrom air force base in Montana and minot air force base in North Dakota. Each base has 150 missile silos, out of a total of 450 silos, 400 missiles are actually deployed.
The missile carries a W78 nuclear warhead with a yield of 335-350,000 tons; Or The W87 nuclear warhead, with a prototype yield of 300,000 tons and an improved version of 475,000 tons.
The Type III missile and nuclear warhead have been modernized, upgraded and extended in life for many times, and will be in service until at least 2030. The development of next-generation new missiles and nuclear warheads has already started. It is expected to purchase 659 missiles with initial operational capability by 2029 and complete deployment by 2036.
Strategic bomber
The U.S. strategic heavy bomber fleet includes 20 B-2 bombers and 40 B-52s capable of delivering nuclear bombs. B-1 bombers have been withdrawn from strategic nuclear weapons carriers and are mainly for conventional missions, but b-1 bombers have recently shown training footage of carrying long-range cruise tactical nuclear missiles.
The B-2 stealth bombers, based at Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri, can carry B61 and B83 nuclear bombs as well as conventional weapons and can hide into enemy target areas.
The United States maintains about 322 B61 and B83 nuclear bombs for strategic bombers and another 230 for fighter jets. The B61 contains many different versions. The B61-7 is used as a strategic nuclear bomb with a yield of 340,000 tons and is carried by B-2 bombers. The B61-3, 4 and 10 are low-yield tactical nuclear bombs carried by fighter aircraft such as The F-16 and F-35. The B61-11 can penetrate bunker targets. The B83 nuclear bomb has a maximum yield of 1.2 million tons.
The B-52 strategic bombers are deployed at two bases, including Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana and Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota. Of the 76 B-52H bombers maintained, 46 were capable of delivering nuclear weapons, and 40 were actually deployed. The B-52 bomber can be armed with nuclear or conventional weapons, including cruise missiles. The B-52 bomber is undergoing extensive upgrades to its communications and electronics systems.
A new generation of long-range cruise missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads is already under development, with plans for deployment by 2026 and a total of possibly more than 1,000. The new B-21 stealth bomber is also under development and is expected to be deployed by 2025.
In addition to maintaining the trinity of strategic nuclear weapons, the United States continues to deploy tactical nuclear weapons, which may be used to a limited extent, as confirmed by the Trump administration. Low-yield tactical nuclear weapons, which can be carried by all types of aircraft, are also deployed on submarines’ Trident II missiles to ensure military superiority.
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