Currently, the US strategic nuclear forces (SNF) are among the most powerful in the world. A full-fledged nuclear triad with all the necessary carriers and delivery vehicles has been created and is being successfully operated. The current plans of the Pentagon provide for the creation of new types of equipment for the strategic nuclear forces. In the medium term, they will face serious rearmament. New aircraft, submarines and missiles will be commissioned.
New for the Air Force
The greatest successes to date have been achieved in the modernization of the air component of the strategic nuclear forces. In addition to the existing strategic bombers, a new one is being developed. Northrop Grumman is successfully implementing a project for such an aircraft called the B-21 Raider.
Project B-21 is the final product of several important Pentagon programs. After years of research and exploration, the Long Range Strike Bomber (LRS-B) program was launched in 2014. Within its framework, leading aircraft manufacturers presented their projects, and the development from Northrop-Grumman was recognized as the best. The development of the technical design for the B-21 continued until the end of last year.
Recently it became known about the start of construction of the first experimental B-21 Raider. The first flight is scheduled for the early twenties. By the middle of the decade, it is planned to launch mass production. The Air Force wants to get about 80-100 new machines, with the help of which it will be possible to replace outdated equipment. The total cost of the program should reach the level of $ 55 billion in 2015 prices.
According to known data, the B-21 Raider bomber will be built according to the "flying wing" scheme, which provides high flight performance and stealth for the air defense of a potential enemy. The aircraft will have a subsonic speed and a high flight range. It will have to use a wide range of existing aircraft weapons, incl. nuclear. The development of fundamentally new missiles is also expected.
The B-21 is seen as an add-on and replacement for nearly all existing US Air Force long-range bombers. In addition, such a replacement will have advantages over other samples. The B-21 is cheaper than the production B-2, receives a wider range of ammunition than the B-1B, and will be stealthier than the B-52.
Fleet update
In the late twenties, the US Navy will begin the process of decommissioning Ohio-class ballistic missile submarines due to their obsolescence. To replace the decommissioned ships and preserve the naval component of the strategic nuclear forces, the Columbia SSBN project is being developed. The construction of the lead ship will begin in the near future, and the construction of the entire series will take about 20 years.
The LSA Columbia project is being developed as part of a collaboration between General Dynamics Electric Boat and Newport News Shipbuilding. The latter also has to carry out the construction of boats. According to Pentagon plans, 12 new submarines must be built to replace 14 Ohio-class SSBNs. The downsizing should not have a fatal effect on the combat effectiveness of the naval component of the nuclear forces.
The first submarine of the new type will be laid in 2021, and by 2030 it will go to sea. In 2031, it is planned to take the ship into the combat composition of the Navy. The 12th submarine of the new project will begin service in 2042. Thus, the delivery of new ships will become annual. It is important that the commissioning of new SSBNs will be carried out in parallel with the decommissioning of old ones. "Ohio" will be withdrawn from the fleet from 2027, one per year. As a result, in 2021-30.the number of the submarine group will be slightly reduced, and then the supply of new boats will keep it at the same level.
The assigned service life of the submarines is 42 years. Thus, the lead ship USS Columbia will remain in service until the early seventies. The last 12th boat will be written off only in the mid-eighties. During the service, each SSBN will have to go on 124 combat campaigns. The estimated cost of the boat is less than $ 5 billion in 2010 prices. The total cost of the entire program, including operating costs, is about 350 billion.
The Columbia project envisages the construction of a 171 m long SSBN with a displacement of 20.8 thousand tons. A modern nuclear power plant has been used, capable of operating on one fuel load during the entire service of the nuclear submarine. The submarine will carry 16 launchers for UGM-133 Trident II ballistic missiles. The development of new weapons of a similar type is not yet planned.
It is curious that the Pentagon's plans include not only a reduction in the number of SSBNs, but also a decrease in the number of missiles on them. So, nuclear submarines of the Ohio type carry 24 missiles - a total of up to 336 products. The Columbia will be able to deploy no more than 192 missiles.
Ground-based
At the moment, the ground component of the strategic nuclear forces is equipped only with intercontinental ballistic missiles LGM-30G Minuteman III. These products have been on duty since the seventies and, despite various modernizations, have become obsolete. The process of replacing the "Minutemans" has already started, its first results will appear only at the end of the twenties.
In mid-2016, the Pentagon and Air Force structures responsible for strategic weapons launched a new Ground Based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD) program, which aims to create a promising ground-based ICBM. Boeing and Northrop Grumman expressed their desire to participate in the program. In August 2017, the Air Force entered into project development contracts with two companies. The finished documentation for two projects will be sent for review next year. In 2020, it is planned to select a winner and the subsequent signing of a contract for the production of ICBMs.
In July of this year. Boeing withdrew from GBSD due to unfavorable developments. In her ICBM project, she planned to use solid-propellant engines developed and manufactured by Orbital ATK. Not so long ago, Northrop-Grumman bought the latter. Boeing felt that the takeover of the supplier could threaten their intellectual property in the field of promising developments. In addition, these events could impede the design or negatively affect the prospects for Boeing ICBMs. Also, statements were made about the preparation of technical specifications for a specific project from Northrop Grumman.
In such conditions, Boeing considers it impossible to continue work on GBSD. The company will not return to the program without changing the terms of reference. At the moment, Northrop Grumman remains the only participant in the program. Whether the project of this company will be approved will become known next year.
According to Air Force plans, the new ICBM will have to take over duty no earlier than FY2027. With the help of GBSD products, it is proposed to replace 450 LGM-30G ICBMs. Such missiles will remain in service for half a century - at least until the end of the seventies. For the development, production and operation of missiles for the entire time it is planned to spend approx. $ 86 billion at current prices.
Upcoming modernization
The Pentagon plans to carry out a massive modernization of the strategic nuclear forces, which will allow them to continue to work for the next several decades. All new models of equipment for strategic nuclear forces are created taking into account long-term operation, due to which new projects of a similar purpose will be needed only in the second half of the 21st century.
The main attention is now being paid to the creation of new carriers of nuclear weapons. Also, projects are being developed to modernize existing warheads in accordance with modern requirements. Such products will be used with both existing and promising carriers.
The US command is well aware of the importance and significance of strategic nuclear forces, and therefore a number of projects of various kinds are now being developed. Of particular importance in the modernization of strategic nuclear forces is the creation of new carriers of nuclear weapons. And some of them, such as the B-21, will appear in a few years.
