Next generation of nukes may not happen
The U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) had argued that the Reliable Replacement Warhead (RRW) was needed because it would be safer to stockpile and harder for terrorists to acquire and use, but Congress was not persuaded
The U.S. House of Representatives the other week voted to deny any further funding for a program to design the next-generation nuclear warhead. Money will instead go towards “sustaining and modernizing” the U.S. existing stockpile of more than 4,000 warheads. The U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) had argued that the Reliable Replacement Warhead (RRW) was needed because it would be safer to stockpile and harder for terrorists to acquire and use. Electronic security features would render it useless in the wrong hands, and it would feature a new breed of explosives for triggering fission, making accidental detonation less of a risk. It would also need less fissile material, making it safer to stockpile. “Today’s nuclear weapons were not designed with security and longevity as the top priorities,” the NNSA said.