Air Force: Don’t ‘cut and skimp’ on our nuclear program

By Jason Fornicola
Director of Custom Media
Federal News Radio

“I state clearly and with conviction, America’s commitment to seek the peace and security of a world without nuclear weapons.”

– President Barack Obama, April 5, 2009

To that end, President Obama has tasked his administration with reducing the role of nuclear weapons in the country’s national security strategy.

While these efforts are ongoing, ensuring the safety and security of the nation’s existing stockpile also is a priority as a means of effective deterrence.

The Air Force, which partners with the Navy to form the U.S. nuclear triad, is a key player in this effort.

Both the administration and Department of Defense have “stated that it’s vital that we keep a triad for strategic nuclear deterrence,” said Maj. Gen. Garrett Harencak , Assistant Chief of Staff for Strategic Deterrence and Nuclear Integration for the Air Force.

“We have a very deliberate program that we’re looking at over the coming years to modernize and recapitalize our two legs of the triad,” Harencak told Federal News Radio’s Agency of the Month radio show. “Which is intercontinental ballistic missiles and bombers – and, of course, the Navy’s contribution is [continuous at-sea deterrence] with their submarine fleet.”

Harencak noted the importance of modernizing all three legs and working together toward the same goal.

“We believe as the Department of Defense, and certainly the United States Air Force, that all three legs of this triad are complementary,” he said. “Therefore, it’s important that we modernize and recapitalize all three legs as we move forward to provide the best defense for America in its, really, only existential threat that it faces – and that, of course, is from the nuclear threat.”

Harencak said the importance of strategic nuclear deterrence is just as important now as it was in 1960s and in every decade since. “It’s as relevant today as it always has been,” he said. “And so realizing that, the Air Force has to recapitalize and modernize its equipment.”

“Most of our spending today, currently, on our two legs of the triad, goes to operating the technology and the weapons and the platforms of systems that were designed in the 60s – many times procured in the 70s – and in a couple of cases, as late as the 80s,” he said. “So, as you can see, all of these are decades old and they require us to put some money into.”

Harencak’s ultimate goal is to make the President’s vision a reality while reassuring the nation’s allies and deterring its enemies.

“Our nation’s goal is a world free of nuclear weapons and until that happy day comes though – as long as nuclear weapons exist – we’ll maintain a safe, secure and effective stockpile for us and our allies,” he said.

Harencak reiterated the Air Force’s efforts are part of the nation’s larger plan and maintaining existing capabilities is a critical component of that.

“That is what the President has asked us to do,” he said. “In order to do that in the coming years, in the coming decades, we absolutely have to modernize; we have to recapitalize these systems.”

The modernization and recapitalization work starts with the Air Force’s ICBM fleet and the Minuteman III missile, which Harencak expects to be replaced around 2030 by the Ground-Based Strategic Deterrent.

He also said the weapons would be life-extended.

“What we mean by that is we’re not making any of the weapons themselves more powerful or more effective, we’re just making sure that we can maintain its safety, its security, and its reliability and effectiveness.”

The other leg of the triad – the bomber fleet – includes the 25-year-old B-2 and the B-52, which was built in 1960 and 1961, according to Harencak. “It’s vitally important that we not only move forward on a replacement for the B-52, which is our Long-Range Strike Bomber,” he said. “But we also, in the meantime, make certain upgrades to our B-52 force; certain upgrades to our B-2 force; and also the weapons that they carry need to be life-extended.”

Harencak also addressed the Air Launch Cruise Missile, which he said needs to be replaced with a long range strike, or LRSO.

“That will replace a cruise missile that first came on board in the early 80s – was only supposed to have about a 10-year lifespan – and we’re currently keeping that weapon system viable,” he said. “However, there comes a time when you just have to say, ‘How much more money are we going to put into a system that is already decades beyond what it was supposed to be?'”

Harencak said the Air Force is working on the things it can control to protect the nation.

“We’re fundamentally focusing on recapitalizing and modernizing our entire two legs of the triad,” Harencak said. “From the platforms themselves, to the weapons, to the nuclear explosive packages that they use to deter and protect America.”

Harencak concluded by pointing out the seriousness of nuclear deterrence and the role modernization and recapitalization plays in that.

“I don’t think there’s anything worse than the nuclear circumstance,” he said. “If we’re going to cut and skimp on anything, let’s not cut and skimp on the one thing that protects us against the worst eventuality.”

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