© ReutersB-2 Spirit Bomber drops a B61-11 "Bunker Buster"
The National Nuclear Security Administration has given the go-ahead for work on upgrading the
B61 airborne nuclear bomb, as the Pentagon is eager to embark on a
multi-billion-dollar scheme to improve the US nuclear arsenal. The decision taken by the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) authorized the program to enter a post-engineering phase, which comes after four years of work. This now means that
the first upgraded bombs are set to roll out by 2020.The B61 has been the principal US airborne nuclear bomb since 1968, when the first version was commissioned. With some of the modifications being canceled over the years and others withdrawn from use, only models 3,4,7,11 and 12 are currently in active service.
"Reaching this next phase of the B61-12 LEP is a major achievement for NNSA and the exceptionally talented scientists and engineers whose work underpins this vital national security mission," NNSA Administrator Lt. Gen. Frank G. Klotz (Ret.) said in a statement. "Currently, the
B61 contains the oldest components in the US arsenal. This LEP (life extension program) will add at least an additional 20 years to the life of the system," he added.
The Obama administration has embarked on a plan to try and modernize the US nuclear weapons arsenal, which is expected to cost around
$355 billion by 2023. However, critics say that this figure could rise to over $1 trillion in the future.
Comment: In other words, 'end-of-the-world stakes' poker...tick tock, tick tock. So far, one player.