Defense Primer: Strategic Nuclear Forces

Abstract

Since the early 1960s the United States has maintained a triad of strategic nuclear delivery vehicles. These include long-range land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), long-range submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs), and long-range heavy bombers equipped to carry nuclear-armed cruise missiles and nuclear-armed gravity bombs. The number of nuclear warheads carried on these delivery vehicles peaked in the late 1980s, at around 14,000 warheads. It has been declining ever since, both as the United States complies with limits in U.S.-Russian arms control agreements and as it has changed requirements after the Cold War. As of February 2018, the United States had reduced its forces to comply with the New START Treaty, which entered into force in early 2011.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Dec 03, 2020
Accession Number
AD1125423

Entities

People

  • Amy F. Woolf

Organizations

  • Congressional Research Service

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Ground and Sea Platforms
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Arms Control
  • Arms Control Treaties
  • Ballistic Missile Submarines
  • Ballistic Missiles
  • Cold War
  • Congress
  • Cruise Missiles
  • Department Of State
  • Fleet Ballistic Missiles
  • Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles
  • Launchers
  • Navy
  • Nuclear Powered Submarines
  • Nuclear Weapons
  • Ohio Class
  • Submarine Launched Ballistic Missiles
  • Submarines
  • Treaties
  • United States
  • United States Government
  • Vehicles

Readers

  • Missile Defense Systems.
  • Nuclear Non-Proliferation and International Security