Navy Set to Deploy New Low-Yield Warhead, Enhance Deterrence

In the next few months, the US Navy will likely begin deployment of a new low-yield nuclear warhead on some of its Trident II D5 Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missiles.This is in accordance with the 2018 Nuclear Posture Review.The National Nuclear Security Administration has just released a mission logo for the program.It started producing the new W76-2 variant warheads in January 2019.The warhead was designed by the Los Alamos National Laboratory,New Mexico.*
The W76-2 may be detonated either by contact or airburst.The NNSA plans to complete the production run and deliver the warheads to the Navy by late 2019.The Trump Administration perceived a need for additional tailored and flexible capabilities to address the danger of coercive nuclear use by Russia and North Korea.The Nuclear Posture Review said the low-yield warhead would enhance deterrence by denying potential adversaries any mistaken confidence that limited nuclear employment can provide a useful advantage over the United States and its allies.*
The W76-2 will not add to the number of deployed SLBM warheads; but replace some of the high-yield warheads already deployed.Russia has wargamed low-yield nuclear weapon use in a regional conflict.So the W76-2 could bolster deterrence by convincing Russia the US could respond with its own proportional, limited attack.*
Putting low-yield weapons on submarines offers improved survivability and penetration because aircraft delivery is vulnerable to an adversary's​ air defences.*
Russian military doctrine envisions the use of low-yield nuclear weapons in a scenario where Russia is losing a conventional war.*
House Armed Services Committee Chairman Congressman Adam Schiff (D-Washington) says it is very unlikely Congress will block the program.

Chief of Naval Operations:More Attention to Deterrence Needed Across the Warfighting Domains

The Chief of Naval Operations,ADM John Richardson,spoke to a breakfast meeting of the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies on 2 July 2019 in Washington,DC.On nuclear deterrence,ADM Richardson noted:
The nuclear triad remains the foundation of our military strength.It's an incredibly powerful military capability where potentially everybody gets destroyed.We must maintain our ability to be competitive and relevant in this domain...(and to be able to) strike back at anybody who can pose an existential threat to the homeland.
More nations are seeking to join the club.The nuclear element of this mix remains very relevant,very active,and deserves more attention,in my mind.*
ADM Richardson said the US should accelerate the effort to build a cost-effective,credible successor to the Trident II D5 missile.Some nations are developing high tech nuclear weapons,while others are pursuing low tech weapons such as dirty bombs and systems manufactured with 3-D printers.*
On cyber warfare:
We have to have an ability for offensive cyber to truly achieve a sense of deterrence here.*
On space warfare:
The competition is absolutely heating up in space.Of these elements that are going to constitute a tailored strategic deterrent approach,space has got to be one of those.These things operate really fast...and space goes away as an asset.You can see a kind of mutually assured destruction scenario in space pretty easily.Have we thought about that going forward?*
Chemical/biological warfare:
One of the self-deterrent aspects of Chem/Bio is that it's very hard to control.It goes viral,if you will.But with these tailored things,you can get a lot more specific.It becomes a lot more targetable.And so it's something that we have to (keep in) mind.*
Conventional warfare:
We have better sensors,better satellites,better ways to connect that data with our command and control systems,our targeting systems.We had an advantage in terms of precision.The idea of being able to locate things is becoming more ubiquitous.It's less of an advantage.It's really the team that can manage that information better that's going to achieve the advantage.*

UK to Keep Nuclear Deterrent,Build New Ballistic Missile Submarines

The British House of Commons voted yesterday to preserve the UK's independent nuclear deterrent and take the necessary steps required to maintain its current posture by replacing the Vanguard-class submarine with four of the new Successor-class ballistic missile submarines.The Conservatives,led by new Prime Minister Theresa May,secured a strong majority vote of 472-117 to approve the motion.The UK will now proceed with the building of the new Trident II D5 missile submarines by the BAE Systems Barrow shipyard at a cost of 31 billion dollars with a contingency of an extra 10 billion over 35 years.It is one of the largest expenditures in the history of the UK,besides also being a project of great complexity and scale,involving hundreds of subcontractors in addition to prime BAE.*
Two parliamentary Strategic Defence and Security Reviews approved the Successor programme in 2010 and 2015.For her part,Mrs.May said it would be sheer madness to contemplate even for a moment giving up Britain's independent nuclear deterrent.We cannot abandon our ultimate safeguard out of misplaced idealism.That would be a reckless gamble,a gamble that would enfeeble our allies and embolden our enemies.The nuclear threat has not gone away.If anything,it has increased,the new Prime Minster pointed out,citing a newly assertive Russia and countries such as North Korea who are seeking nuclear weapons.We will not leave NATO and our European allies behind,Mrs.May promised.*
Construction of the Successor-class is to begin in late 2016,with the first of the four vessels entering service in 2028.A minimum of four submarines is required to sustain the continuous at sea deterrence (CASD) posture which Britain has today,according to the formula of,at any given time,one armed submarine being on patrol;one in maintenance;and two in port or on training manoeuvres.All UK ballistic missile and nuclear powered submarines are based at HM Naval Base Clyde in Faslane,Scotland,which is 25 miles/40 kilometers west of Glasgow.The base is secured by Fleet Protection Group Royal Marines.*
As a crucial element of their special relationship,the US and UK now coordinate both nuclear strategy and hardware.Both countries endorsed the Trident II D5 Service Life Extension Programme that extends the life of the missiles out to 2042.Both will also be installing a common 12-missile compartment in the Royal Navy Successor-class and the US Navy SSBN-X successor to the Ohio-class submarine.*
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