Center for Defense Information
Research Topics
Television
CDI Library
Press
What's New
Search

      The Cost of Preparing to Fight
      vs.
      Preventing Nuclear War


      Between 1940 and 1995, the United States spent an estimated $3.5 Trillion to prepare for nuclear war. This went toward building and maintaining nuclear weapons and their delivery systems as well as commanding, controlling, and defending against the bomb. Spending on nuclear weapons did not disappear along with the Soviet Union. The United States will spend nearly $27 Billion in Fiscal Year 2001 to prepare to fight a nuclear war.

      To Prepare for Nuclear War -- FY 2001


      Program COST FY'01 Notes
      Building, operating and maintaining strategic nuclear weapons $11.4 Billion Includes $10.9 billion for 6,000 deployed strategic warheads (CBO) and $0.5 billion for acquisition of D-5 Trident II missiles (FY'01 budget request). This number is consistent with Secretary Perry's comments (9/20/94) and reductions in the nuclear stockpile since, that at the time we were spending $12.4 billion on strategic nuclear systems.
      Operating and maintaining tactical nuclear weapons $1.0 Billion Includes cost to operate and maintain tactical nuclear weapons that are either deployed or kept in war reserve.
      Maintaining and upgrading Command, Control, Communications and Intelligence (C3I) networks in support of the nuclear arsenal $7.8 Billion Includes communications links, satellites and radars used for early warning, intelligence collection and reconnaissance activities
      Stockpile Stewardship and Management Program $4.6 Billion FY'01 budget request, for maintaining and managing nuclear warheads, materials and facilities.
      National Missile Defense $1.9 Billion FY'01 budget request.
      TOTAL $26.7 Billion
         

      To Prevent Nuclear War -- Under Construction

         

      Notes on C3I spending:
      Little information on C3I spending is publicly available. Without access to more detailed C3I plans and budgets, it is difficult to recommend specific areas for cost savings.

      According to CBO's October 1991 study, "The START Treaty and Beyond," (pages 66-67) the United States will spend roughly $8 Billion per year for nuclear C3I over the next 15 years ($5 billion for C3 and $3 Billion for Intelligence).

      According to CBO, "costs associated with command, control, and communications are assumed not to vary appreciably among the options (for different force levels) in this study." However, CBO notes that new types of threats such as cruise missiles may require new types of surveillance technologies in the future, thereby adding to the C3I budget.

      Deeper reductions under a START II or III Treaty would mildly affect nuclear intelligence spending. CBO assumes that, "under options that deemphasized nuclear weapons in general and nuclear counterforce doctrine in particular, there would beless need to buy extra satellites largely devoted to finding Soviet mobile missiles." CBO puts the average cost of a satellite and its launch rocket at roughly $1.25 Billion. If the United States were to reduce its deployed strategic nuclear arsenal to 1,000 nuclear weapons (still based on a triad of delivery systems), it would only need to maintain 3 imaging satellites rather than 6-8 as currently planned. Thiscould save $.6 Billion per year by not launching a rocket every other year.

      Nuclear intelligence spending could be cut further if the nuclear armed nations decreased their nuclear arsenals to 1,000 or fewer nuclear weapons. According to CBO, "with fewer weapons--and fewer weapons types--there would be less weapons testing, less weapons movement and training, and a smaller Soviet infrastructure involved with nuclear forces. Consequently, it would be easier to cut U.S.intelligence personnel..."


      For more information please contact Chris Hellman
       

      [HOME] [ISSUE AREAS]