The Skyrocketing Cost of America's Nuclear Arsenal
Estimated expenses for U.S. nuclear forces to escalate to $946 billion by 2034, according to CBO.
The jaw-dropping bill to update and maintain America's nuclear forces is estimated to reach an astounding $946 billion from 2025 to 2034 - an eye-watering 25% hike compared to the 2023 forecast, according to a report by the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO).
This hefty price tag doesn't include an 81% cost surge for the Sentinel, a new intercontinental ballistic missile in development to replace the Minuteman III, the backbone of the U.S.-based ICBM force.
Analysts predict this dramatic uptick in costs for the world's second-largest nuclear arsenal could create a headache for President Donald Trump, who's committed to boosting the defense budget to an unprecedented $1 trillion in fiscal 2026.
Such nuclear spending is split between the Pentagon and the Department of Energy, the caretakers of the U.S. arsenal. Daryl Kimball, chief of the Arms Control Association, an advocacy group, voiced his concerns, stating, "The costs of the existing nuclear modernization program are shooting up like a rocket!"
The CBO advises that in the coming years, Congress will need to decide what nuclear forces the U.S. should maintain and, therefore, the extent to which the nation will modernize.
Trump has yet to clearly outline his nuclear weapons strategy or appoint key personnel to manage it. Moreover, there's been no resumption of arms control talks between Washington and Moscow, with the last agreement capping U.S. and Russian strategic forces expiring within a year.
In February, Trump expressed opposition to new U.S. nuclear weapon production and disapproval of the high maintenance costs. He also expressed interest in negotiating an arms control treaty with Moscow and Beijing, which is beefing up its nuclear arsenal, albeit smaller than those of the U.S. and Russia.
Current plans for operating U.S. strategic and tactical nuclear forces and acquiring new bombers, submarines, and ICBMs are projected to cost a staggering $946 billion - an average of $95 billion per year - through 2034. This estimate is a 25% increase compared to the 2023 CBO projection of $756 billion over the 2023-2032 period.
The difference stems from increased expenses for projects like the Sentinel ICBM, modernization of missile silos, updates to command/early-warning systems, and DOE production facility upgrades. Additionally, the new projection spans two more years, further driving up the total cost. The CBO also factored in $129 billion extra to account for anticipated cost growth due to delays, technical challenges, and evolving requirements.
- The projected expenditures for America's nuclear modernization program are anticipated to reach $946 billion from 2025 to 2034, a 25% increase compared to the 2023 forecast.
- The Sentinel, a new intercontinental ballistic missile in development, is expected to incur an 81% cost surge in its development.
- In 2026, President Donald Trump's goal to boost the defense budget to $1 trillion may be affected by the escalating costs of updating and maintaining America's nuclear forces.
- The general-news headlines are speculating about the potential implications of such high expenditures on the energy, finance, politics, and industry sectors of the U.S.
- In light of the increasing costs, the senior leadership in the Department of Defense and the Department of Energy will need to make decisions about nuclear deployments and the modernization of America's nuclear arsenal in the coming years.
