Senate testimony from Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm and National Nuclear Security Administration Administrator Jill Hruby revealed that the Pentagon is constructing its first new nuclear warhead in 40 years. Granholm and Hruby stated, "The process will enhance the Department of Defense's requirements to improve the operational effectiveness of the U.S. ballistic missile submarine force." The W93 warhead will be built without nuclear testing and will be used on submarine-launched ballistic missiles, as the U.S. is currently adhering to a moratorium on nuclear tests, according to the "Washington Examiner."
The warhead is expected to cost $19.8 billion, and the National Nuclear Security Administration stated on its website that the W93 "will allow the United States to keep up with future adversary threats." The Pentagon's nuclear weapons council and energy department were ordered to expedite the development of the new W93 warhead. This step to build the warhead was initiated at the request of General Charles Richard when he was Commander of U.S. Strategic Command based in Omaha in 2020. Richard raised concerns about China's nuclear "breakout" as the country began deploying multiple warhead intercontinental ballistic missiles in three large missile fields in its west, where military officials estimate that the fields could house up to 360 missiles.
The new W93 nuclear warhead has been in the early design stages at Los Alamos National Laboratory since May 2022 and is "on track" to begin production. Updating the nuclear arsenal remains a top priority for the Pentagon. The new warhead is expected to be lighter than the current W76 and W88 models, allowing for greater missile range. The W93 will also feature insensitive high explosives, which will lead to improved safety and security to address "future threats."
Additionally, the Pentagon will update five types of warheads: the B61-12, B61-13, W88, W87, and W80, at a cost of $2.84 billion. The latest model, the B61, is set to be built by 2025 and is a nuclear gravity bomb dropped by aircraft.
