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1 [1] (April 1, 2026)

handle is hein.crs/govetzm0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Congressional Research Service Informning th leg s1ative dabate si nce 1914 Defense Primer: Strategic Nuclear Forces The Department of Defense (DOD)-which is using a secondary Department of War designation under Executive Order 14347 dated September 5, 2025-is in the process of modernizing U.S. strategic nuclear forces. This modernization effort includes numerous DOD major defense acquisition programs, some of which are annually assessed by the Government Accountability Office, and warhead modernization programs implemented by the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), a semi- autonomous Department of Energy agency. In 2025, the Congressional Budget Office estimated that U.S. programs to operate and modernize nuclear forces would cost $946 billion over the next 10 years. DOD stated that its FY2026 budget request includes ~$60 billion across the nuclear enterprise to sustain nuclear forces and fund a major recapitalization across all three legs of the nuclear triad. Some Members of Congress have shown strong interest in conducting oversight of U.S. nuclear modernization efforts. The Nuclear Triad Since the early 1960s, the United States has maintained a triad of strategic nuclear delivery vehicles. These include long-range land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), long-range submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) on strategic nuclear submarines (SSBNs), and long-range heavy bombers. The U.S. nuclear warhead stockpile has decreased in number as the United States changed nuclear planning requirements after the end of the Cold War and complied with arms control agreements. Some nongovernmental organizations have provided annual estimates of warheads deployed on U.S. nuclear forces. Until February 5, 2026, U.S. strategic forces were limited by the 2011 U.S.-Russian New START treaty. Table 1 displays U.S. nuclear forces, as of September 1, 2022, accountable under that treaty. The United States had 1,419 warheads deployed on 662 missiles and bombers as of March 1, 2023, according to a more recent State Department fact sheet. Table I. U.S. Strategic Nuclear Forces in 2022 Total Deployed System Launchers Launchers Warheads Minuteman Ill 454 396 396 ICBM Trident (D-5) SLBM B-52 bombers B-2 bombers Total 280 46 20 800 220 33 10 659 33a 10a 1,420 Updated April 1, 2026 a. The treaty attributes one warhead to each deployed bomber, although each could carry up to 20 bombs or cruise missiles. Rationale for the Tr Iad Early in the Cold War, the United States developed three types of nuclear delivery vehicles, in large part because each of the military services wanted part of the U.S. nuclear arsenal. Eventually, DOD came to argue that different basing modes' complementary strengths could enhance nuclear deterrence. The 2010 Nuclear Posture Review (NPR), a periodic assessment of U.S. nuclear policy, summarized the post-Cold War evolution of this thinking: [SSBNs] and the SLBMs they carry represent the most survivable leg of the U.S. nuclear Triad.... Single-warhead ICBMs contribute to stability, and like SLBMs are not vulnerable to air defenses. Unlike ICBMs and SLBMs, bombers can be visibly deployed forward, as a signal in crisis to strengthen deterrence of potential adversaries and assurance of allies and partners. The U.S. government has reaffirmed the value of the nuclear triad and the importance of its modernization in a series of NPRs. The Obama Administration stated in the 2010 NPR that the unique characteristics of each leg of the triad were important to maintain strategic stability at reasonable cost, while hedging against potential technical problems or vulnerabilities. The Trump Administration stated in the 2018 NPR that the triad's synergy and overlapping attributes help ensure the enduring survivability of our deterrence capabilities against attack and our capacity to hold a range of adversary targets at risk throughout a crisis or conflict. The Biden Administration's 2022 NPR argued that maintaining a modem triad possessing these attributes-effectiveness, responsiveness, survivability, flexibility, and visibility-ensures that the United States can withstand and respond to any strategic attack, tailor its deterrence strategies as needed, and assure Allies in support of our extended deterrence commitments. Current Forces and Modernzai Plans Before implementing the New START Treaty, the United States deployed 450 Minuteman III ICBMs at Air Force bases in Wyoming, Montana, and North Dakota. Under New START, the number has declined to 400 deployed missiles, although the Air Force has retained all 450 silo launchers. While each Minuteman III missile originally carried three warheads, the United States has deployed the missile with a single warhead in order to comply with New START levels. The Air Force has completed life extension programs (LEPs) to improve the accuracy and reliability of the Minuteman TTT Source: U.S. Department of State, New START Treaty Aggregate Numbers of Strategic Offensive Arms, September 1, 2022.