US Sentinel Missile's Nuclear Deterrent In A Hot Spotlight
Date
11/12/2024 5:06:26 AM
(MENAFN- Asia Times)
This month, the US Congressional Research Service (CRS) released a report highlighting key issues surrounding the Sentinel Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) program and broader concerns linked to the country's land-based nuclear arsenal.
The Sentinel, officially known as the LGM-35A, is intended to replace aging Minuteman III missiles. However, critics have raised concerns about the high costs of developing and deploying the system, which is part of an estimated trillion-dollar overhaul of the US nuclear forces.
The CRS report mentions a heated debate over the strategic necessity of maintaining a land-based ICBM leg in America's nuclear triad, the three-pronged military force structure comprised of ICBMs, submarine-launched ballistic missiles and strategic bombers. Some argue that new modern threats may have rendered stationary, silo-based systems vulnerable to preemptive strikes.
The CRS report says critics of the Sentinel program question whether such systems increase the risk of miscalculation or accidental launch, especially under crisis conditions, as they could pressure decision-makers into fatal rapid responses.
Proponents argue that the new missile will provide critical upgrades in reliability and security, ensuring an effective and credible deterrent against evolving global threats, as mentioned in the CRS report.
Despite escalating costs and fierce budget competition, the Sentinel program has emerged as a non-negotiable pillar in the US's nuclear modernization strategy.
In July 2024, the US Department of Defense (DOD) confirmed the continuation of the Sentinel ICBM program despite an 81% cost overrun triggering a critical Nunn-McCurdy breach, which occurs when a defense acquisition program exceeds predetermined thresholds.
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