The National Nuclear Security Administration seeks no funding for fiscal year 2023 for either a nuclear, sea-launched cruise-missile warhead or for previously planned alternations for the B83 gravity bomb, according to the agency’s full budget request for the year.
The news follows the Navy’s disclosure last week that it would seek Congress’ permission to cancel the nuclear-tipped Sea Launched Cruise Mission (SLCM-N) because the weapon’s projected cost was spiraling upward, and because it probably wouldn’t be ready anyway, the service said.
“Consistent with the administration’s nuclear posture review, NNSA [National Nuclear Security Administration] did not request funding for this program,” the agency wrote of the sea-launched W80-4 variant in the detailed version of its 2023 weapons activities budget request.
As for B83, which the Trump administration wanted to keep in warm storage until an Earth-penetrating replacement was available later this decade in the form of the planned B61-12, the NNSA’s fiscal 2023 request “does not include activities for two alterations and a joint test assembly replacement” for the gravity bomb.
In fiscal year 2022, the NNSA asked for, and received, $10 million for the sea-launched W80-4, plus $98.5 million for the B83 stockpile sustainment account. Funding for the bomb was to pay for a pair alternations identified in the agency’s 2022 budget request as B83 ALT 753 and B83 ALT 353.
Republicans in Congress oppose the Biden administration’s decision to cancel SLCM-N, citing among other things the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff’s preference to continue developing the weapon.
