Posted on 08/27/2012 11:37:37 PM PDT by bruinbirdman
Eight senators from both sides of the political aisle have appealed to Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta to spend some $300 million to modernize America’s aging nuclear missiles. The lawmakers claim that the U.S. thus far has failed to modernize its weapons in accordance with an agreement hammered out with the Obama administration in late 2010—under which Republican lawmakers acceded to the New START treaty with Russia in exchange for upgrades to the U.S. nuclear stockpile. Of particular concern is the construction of a new chemical facility that would provide support for nuclear endeavors. The senators believe such a program to be necessary to “maintain the nuclear deterrent.”
The W76/Mk4 warheads (which were built from 1978 to 1987) are currently being refurbished and upgraded by the NNSA with new primary high-explosive, thermonuclear secondaries, gas transfer systems and a new arming, fusing and firing system.
It is basically a brand new warhead with new safety features and improved reliability.
when you only have 700-800 left, you might as well make them shiney
/dripping-acidic-sarcasm
I smell brother-in-law pocket padding / kickbacks via public funding somewhere in there
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