(RightWing.org) – The Department of Defense and the Department of Energy conduct periodic reviews of the nation’s Nuclear Triad, the backbone of America’s nuclear weapons and platforms. A May 2021 Congressional report recommended the imminent retirement of the B83-1, the country’s most powerful nuclear bomb. A new report indicates the Biden administration plans to follow up on the recommendation and retire current stockpiles of the weapon.
On Wednesday, April 13, The Washington Times reported the latest version of the Biden administration’s strategic weapons review includes plans to eliminate the remaining B83-1 arsenal. The B83-1 is a variable-yield thermonuclear gravity bomb capable of carrying a load ranging from 80 kilotons to as high as 1.2 megatons.
Biden admin is killing off needed nuke weapons like B83 bomb and SLCM-N cruise missile as part of its controversial nuclear posture review. Review sent to Congress but remains secret as Pentagon reworks its failed post-Ukraine national defense strategy https://t.co/dotf33CzUo
— Bill Gertz (@BillGertz) April 5, 2022
The B83-1’s high yield makes it the only weapon in the nation’s nuclear arsenal capable of eliminating underground bunkers, command posts, and other fortified subterranean military targets.
As the nation’s only remaining megaton-rated bomb, the B83-1 lends credibility to America’s deterrence efforts as the lone counter to Russia’s Poseidon autonomous warhead, which carries a payload of up to 2 megatons.
The Biden administration’s plan to retire the weapon system runs contrary to the most recent recommendation of Navy Admiral Charles Richard, the head of the US Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM).
Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-CA) joins other lawmakers and defense experts in protesting the Biden administration’s move, and they hope to save the B83-1 using the annual National Defense Authorization Act. Still, concerns regarding the safety and stability of storing the aging bomb may preclude their efforts.
What do you think about the Biden administration’s plan to retire the B83-1 bomb? Would its loss weaken America’s strength and ability to deter foreign attacks?
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