Publication

This report reviews the ongoing programs that will affect the size and shape of the US strategic nuclear force structure. The author first looks at the force structure during the Cold War, and summarizes the reductions and changes that have occurred since 1991. She then offers details about each category of delivery vehicle - land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), submarine launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs), and heavy bombers - focusing on their deployments and ongoing and planned modernization programs. She concludes by discussing the factors which will influence the future size and shape of the US strategic nuclear force.