US Navy submarines to re-arm with nuclear cruise missiles after 3 decades
The SLCM-N would fulfill a critical role as a sea-based nuclear deterrent below the strategic level on the nuclear escalation ladder.
Kapil Kajal, https://interestingengineering.com/military/us-navy-submarines-nuclear-cruise-missiles
Updated: Nov 22, 2024 01:46 PM EST.
In a surprising development, the US Navy has released a Request for Information (RFI) regarding the development of a Nuclear-Armed Sea-Launched Cruise Missile (SLCM-N).
The initiative aims to establish a modular and resilient cruise missile system that delivers a proportional response while ensuring essential adversary targets remain vulnerable.
The goal is to deploy an operational system by fiscal year 2034, with prototype tests anticipated within the next three years.
Sea-launched nuclear cruise missile
The SLCM-N will be launched from Virginia-class attack submarines and is centered around an “All Up Round” (AUR) concept.
This includes an expendable booster, a nuclear-capable cruise missile, and a launch canister, allowing underwater launches from Virginia Payload Tubes (VPT) or Virginia Payload Modules (VPM).
Additionally, the Navy seeks missiles that are “as modular as possible,” incorporating both software and hardware, to ensure that modifications to the missile’s body or shared tactical systems don’t necessitate changes to the warhead payload interfaces or avionics related to the nuclear mission.
“The open system approach is being adopted to facilitate future technical upgrades or technology enhancements as needed throughout the SLCM-N program’s lifespan,” the Navy’s request indicates.
The United States originally introduced nuclear-armed sea-launched cruise missiles during the mid-1980s with the deployment of the TLAM-N, a nuclear variant of the Tomahawk Land-Attack Missile.
These missiles, which had a range of about 2,500 kilometers (approximately 1,550 miles), were positioned on both surface vessels and attack submarines.
After 3 decades
In 1991, President George H.W. Bush declared the withdrawal of all sea-based tactical nuclear weapons, resulting in the removal of TLAM-N missiles by the middle of 1992.
The Navy kept the option to redeploy them on attack submarines if necessary. However, in 2010, the Obama Administration recommended decommissioning the TLAM-N system, considering it redundant in light of other available nuclear capabilities. This retirement was finalized in 2013.
The 2018 Nuclear Posture Review (NPR)
under the Trump Administration advocated for the development of a novel nuclear-armed sea-launched cruise missile, now referred to as SLCM-N.
This initiative aimed to provide a “non-strategic regional presence” and fulfill the need for “flexible and low-yield options” within the US nuclear arsenal.
The SLCM-N was designed to enhance deterrence against regional threats and reassure US allies.
Allocation of funds
In its Fiscal Year 2022 budget proposal, the Biden Administration allocated funding for the research and development of the SLCM-N.
Nonetheless, the 2022 NPR suggested discontinuing the program, indicating that current capabilities were adequate to meet deterrent requirements.
Despite this, Congress continued to fund the SLCM-N and its associated warhead. The Fiscal Year 2024 National Defense Authorization Act required the executive branch to ensure the SLCM-N’s initial
operational capability. Following this, the Administration has begun to take steps to implement the program.
Supporters of the SLCM-N contend that it provides a flexible and survivable nuclear option capable of deployment in various regions without needing to station nuclear assets on allied territories.
The SLCM-N would fulfill a critical role as a sea-based nuclear deterrent below the strategic level on the nuclear escalation ladder, emphasizing that the commander-in-chief should have access to such options.
Similar to its predecessor, the Navy’s discontinued TLAM-N, the SLCM-N is envisioned as a lower-yield nuclear weapon launched from submarines that would add a new dimension to the maritime segment of the nuclear triad, allowing the United States to respond proportionately to a limited nuclear attack by an adversary.
