https://breakingdefense.com/2024/03/the-sentinel-icbm-remains-affordable-because-context-matters/

Quote:

Adam Lowther and Curtis McGiffin argue in this op-ed that added context is needed before deciding that the Sentinel ICBM is too expensive.

By   ADAM LOWTHER and CURTIS MCGIFFINon March 20, 2024 at 1:20 PM

The cost of nuclear weapons is always a delicate topic in Washington, so it’s no surprise that news of cost overruns on America’s next-generation ICBM set off a wave of criticism for the program. In this new op-ed, Adam Lowther and Curtis McGiffin of the National Institute for Deterrence Studies argue that added context is needed for critics of the program.

In the six weeks since Breaking Defense and other publications initially covered the news that a Nunn-McCurdy breach in the Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) program is imminent, nuclear disarmament advocates saw an opportunity to once again argue that a land based ICBM is simply too expensive. Members of Congress also joined the fray.

The challenge, however, is that the current criticism lacks any real context for how long-term and large-scale weapons programs are cost estimated and acquired. It’s important to have this level of detail when looking at the complex, and admittedly costly, case for nuclear weapon investment.