Ex-President Barack Obama's administration announced, in 2014, the planned intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) reduction. After taking office, Donald Trump ordered a review of nuclear forces, likely to take a year or more, led by the Pentagon.
During the Obama administration both the U.S. and Russia signed the New START accord in 2010. Part of that agreement was that both nations would tailor their overall nuclear force – including bombers and nuclear-armed submarines by February 2018.
Questions regarding the ICBM
Among the key issues the Trump administration has regarding the ICBM is whether to withdraw from the New Start and if they should continue Obama's weapons modernization plan?
The new generation ICBM force could cost more than $100 billion.
Land-based Nuclear Missiles, as part the Obama administration handover plan, are now being cut by the U.S. Air Force. Despite Trump's arguments, reductions are nearing completion. The President claims the treaty gives Putin an unfair advantage over nuclear firepower.
Cuts in missiles will be done by April
The U.S. Air Force said this would leave the ICBM deployed arsenal at its smallest since the early 1960's. Trump believes that the U.S. has now fallen to Moscow in nuclear power and says shrinking the ICBM force is a bad deal. In December Trump took to Twitter arguing that the U.S. must strengthen its nuclear power until the world comes to its senses.
The President has also said he is against the New START deal.
Critics calling expansion unnecessary
Major Daniel Dubois, Air Force spokesman, said Friday, that as of March 14, the Air Force had 406 Minutemen missiles in launch-ready silos. There were 417 Minuteman missiles in September. Critics are calling Trump's intended nuclear expansion, unnecessary, and will drain funds needed in other areas.
Part of the treaty's compliance process was to finish converting 41-B52H bombers to non-status, this was completed in January.
Plans to replace and modernize the U.S. Air Force will potentially cost hundreds of billions of dollars – those plans have already been started, but it is still uncertain how Trump plans on conducting this nuclear expansion.
It's unclear how Trump intends to conduct a nuclear expansion, which critics call unnecessary and a potential drain on funds needed for non-nuclear forces. A long-term plan to replace and modernize the current nuclear force is already underway and will end up costing hundreds of billions of dollars.
