Estimated expenses of U.S. nuclear arsenal escalate to a staggering $946 billion by 2034, as per Congressional Budget Office.
America's nuclear forces modernization and maintenance costs for the next decade are estimated to reach a whopping $946 billion, up by a stunning 25% from the 2023 prediction, according to a report from the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office.
While this figure doesn't incorporate the 81% cost overrun of the Sentinel, a new intercontinental ballistic missile in development to replace the Minuteman III, it's clear that these costs are soaring through the roof.
This massive increase in expenses for the world's second-biggest nuclear arsenal could make President Donald Trump's plan to increase the defense budget to a trillion dollars in 2026 incredibly challenging.
The budget for nuclear weapons is shared among the Pentagon and the Department of Energy, which manages the U.S.'s nuclear stockpile.
Daryl Kimball, head of the Arms Control Association, expressed concern over the skyrocketing costs of updating the nuclear modernization program. Kimball said, "The costs are spiraling out of control."
The CBO warned that Congress will have to make critical decisions in the coming years on the future of U.S. nuclear forces and the extent of modernization. As of now, Trump has yet to reveal his nuclear strategy and hasn't appointed key officials to oversee it.
Moreover, despite the last pact limiting U.S. and Russian strategic forces expiring in less than a year, there's been no resumption of arms control talks between Washington and Moscow.
Trump previously stated his opposition to building new nuclear weapons and his disdain for the high costs associated with maintaining the arsenal. He also expressed interest in negotiating an arms control deal with both Moscow and Beijing, who are both expanding their nuclear arsenals, although their stockpiles are smaller compared to those of the U.S. and Russia.
The CBO forecasts that the cost of operating and modernizing U.S. strategic and tactical nuclear forces, purchasing new bombers, submarines, and ICBMs will amount to an estimated $946 billion, averaging around $95 billion per year, from 2025 to 2034. In comparison, the 2023 CBO prediction was $756 billion for the 2023-2032 period.
The difference is mainly due to increased expenditures on programs such as the Sentinel ICBM, updating nuclear command systems, modernizing Pentagon systems, and upgrading DOE facilities. Additionally, the new projection goes two years further than the previous estimate.
- The CBO's report reveals that the estimated expenditures for America's nuclear forces modernization and maintenance from 2025 to 2034 will amount to an astounding $946 billion, a 25% increase from the 2023 prediction.
- Daryl Kimball, the head of the Arms Control Association, has expressed concern over the rapidly rising costs of updating the nuclear modernization program, stating that the costs are spiraling out of control.
- Congress will have to make critical decisions in the coming years regarding the future of U.S. nuclear forces and the extent of modernization, as warned by the CBO.
- Despite the last pact limiting US and Russian strategic forces expiring in less than a year, there's been no resumption of arms control talks between Washington and Moscow, raising concerns about the escalating arms race.
- President Donald Trump's plan to increase the defense budget to a trillion dollars in 2026 could face significant challenges due to the soaring costs associated with the modernization of the world's second-biggest nuclear arsenal, including the development of new ICBMs such as the Sentinel.
