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Miami Herald
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
US completes new nuclear bomb year ahead of schedule
By Dean Murray The United States has completed its new nuclear bomb, nearly a year ahead of schedule. The B61-13 weapon features a maximum yield of 360 kilotons - 24 times more powerful than the bomb dropped on Hiroshima in 1945. The first unit was unveiled on Monday (May 19) in Amarillo, Texas, by U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright. He said: "Modernising America's nuclear stockpile is essential to delivering President Trump's peace through strength agenda. "The remarkable speed of the B61-13's production is a testament to the ingenuity of our scientists and engineers and the urgency we face to fortify deterrence in a volatile new age. "This achievement signals American strength to our adversaries and allies alike." The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) said: "The B61-13 will provide the President with additional nuclear options against certain harder and large-area military targets; separately, the Department of Defense will coordinate with NNSA to complete and implement a comprehensive strategy for the defeat of hard and deeply buried targets." The B61-13 is one of the most rapidly developed and fielded weapons since the Cold War. The NNSA allocated $92 million over four years for development, with original production expected to begin in fiscal year 2026. The bomb will be deployable by strategic aircraft such as the upcoming B-21 Raider stealth bomber and possibly the retiring B-2 Spirit. The post US completes new nuclear bomb year ahead of schedule appeared first on Talker. Copyright Talker News. All Rights Reserved.
Axios
14-05-2025
- Business
- Axios
U.S. to spend $1 trillion on nuclear weapons over next decade
It's going to cost nearly $1 trillion to operate, maintain and upgrade America's nuclear arsenal over the next decade — more per year ($95 billion) than what's spent on many federal agencies. Why it matters: That eye-popping estimate from the Congressional Budget Office is catnip for critics, who argue Washington is spending blindly or that portions of the triad are vestigial. Driving the news: The combined 2025-34 nuke plans of the Defense and Energy departments amount to $946 billion. In what have been a few wild days for the nuke-watching world — including India-Pakistan clashes and the U.S. Air Force saying it needs new silos for its already delayed and over-budget Sentinel missiles — the dollar figures jump out. What they're saying: "The huge expenses tallied in this report were not anticipated at the outset of the nuclear modernization program," said Greg Mello, the director of Los Alamos Study Group, which monitors National Nuclear Security Administration sites and activities. "There will be no return to the 'heroic mode of production' for nuclear weapons," he added. "Even if Congress dumped $100 or $200 billion more on nuclear weapons, the system that produces them would not 'jump to the task' for years, if at all." Our thought bubble: There's a lot on the table, even if you ignore requisite infrastructure upgrades at places like the Savannah River Site. Sentinel. B-21 Raider. Long-Range Standoff Weapon. Columbia-class submarines. What we're watching: Where today's obsession with cheap mass (drones and artillery shells, for example) clashes with revered and rarely used stockpiles. Nuclear acquisition programs represent almost 12% of the Defense Department's planned buying costs over the next decade, according to the CBO. That means DOD will have to make "difficult choices about which programs to pursue." Arms Control Association executive director Daryl Kimball in a piece this month said "skyrocketing" prices siphon resources from "other more pressing human needs and national security priorities." Yes, but: There are businesspeople who think it can be done more effectively. "What we see here is the really strong need for the U.S. government, specifically on the topic of nuclear deterrence, to look at opportunities to work with" the private sector, JC Btaiche, the founder of Fuse, told Axios. Fuse seeks to be the "new nuclear-security prime," as Btaiche put it. Its advisers include Lisa Gordon-Hagerty, the former NNSA boss, and retired Adm. Charles Richard, once the head of Strategic Command.
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Senate confirms Meink as next Air Force secretary
The Senate on Tuesday confirmed Troy Meink as the next Air Force secretary in a 74-25 vote, with multiple Democrats breaking ranks to vote for President Donald Trump's nominee. Meink, who previously served as deputy director of the National Reconnaissance Office, will now take charge of the Air Force and Space Force. He has a deep background in acquisition and technology development specializing in space and also served as NRO's director of signals intelligence systems acquisition. His career at the Air Force has included service as deputy undersecretary of the Air Force for space and, while at the Air Force Research Laboratory in New Mexico, stints as a program manager, senior research engineer and chief technical adviser. He served in the Air Force beginning in 1988 as a navigator on the KC-135 Stratotanker. Meink will take over the Department of the Air Force at a time of significant transformation, as virtually all major portions of its aircraft fleet are in the process of modernizing. That includes overseeing the service's planned sixth-generation fighter, dubbed the F-47, as prime contractor Boeing begins the complicated process of developing and then delivering a complex, advanced aircraft without breaking the bank. The Air Force is also developing multiple versions of semiautonomous drone wingmen, known as collaborative combat aircraft, that will fly alongside the F-47, the F-35A Joint Strike Fighter and potentially other aircraft. The service is in the midst of a major revamp of its bomber force as it brings on the Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider stealth bomber to replace the retiring B-1 and B-2 bombers. The Air Force eventually plans to have a two-bomber fleet made up of the B-21, alongside heavily revamped B-52J Stratofortresses. And the Air Force is worried about its LGM-35A Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile. That program, which is to be built by Northrop Grumman, is planned to succeed the aging Minuteman III nuclear missile program, but higher-than-expected construction costs have forced the service to rethink its approach to Sentinel. Meink's acquisition background could help the service manage these multiple programs. His space expertise could also benefit the Space Force, whose missions are expanding and which has sought to grow its budget to handle them. In his nomination hearing in March, Meink pledged to push for the Space Force to get the resources it needs, given the growing role it will likely play in future military actions. 'Space is going to be one of the determining factors' in a future conflict, Meink said. 'We definitely need to get that right.' But Meink's relationship with SpaceX founder and Trump administration adviser Elon Musk created controversy. Democratic Sens. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Tammy Duckworth of Illinois in February raised concerns about what they termed a 'potential quid pro quo' between Meink and Musk, after reports surfaced that Meink had favored SpaceX for a contract while running NRO. 'These are incredibly serious allegations of misconduct and favoritism,' they wrote in a letter to Meink. 'These reports raise concerns about your ability, if confirmed as secretary, to treat contractors fairly and prioritize the Air Force's mission over Elon Musk's business interests.' According to a Politico report, Meink disclosed to lawmakers in written responses that Musk was present for his interview with Trump, but said several other people were also present and Musk did not ask any questions. Musk's presence at the interview raised eyebrows among some ethics experts, who called it unusual. Meink denied having a relationship with Musk or SpaceX beyond executing his duties as head of NRO, and said he did not ask for Musk to support him to be Air Force secretary, nor did Musk ask him for anything.
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Northrop loses $477M on B-21 bomber as it revamps production process
Northrop Grumman reported a $477 million loss on the B-21 Raider in the first quarter of 2025, as higher manufacturing and materials costs for making the sixth-generation stealth bomber squeeze the company. In a Tuesday statement on its financial performance, Northrop said much of the $477 million loss stemmed from a change the firm made to its B-21 production process, intended to allow the company to build the bombers at a higher rate. Northrop CEO Kathy Warden also said in an earnings call Tuesday with investors that macroeconomic factors are driving up the projected price of bomber materials. The loss encompassed all five low-rate initial production lots for the bomber. 'While I'm disappointed with this financial impact, we continue to make solid progress on the [B-21] program, demonstrating performance objectives through tests, and we are progressing through the first two lots of production,' Warden said. 'With significant learning behind us, we are ready to deliver [to] the Air Force this highly capable strategic deterrent.' The B-21 loss contributed to an overall $183 million loss in Northrop Grumman's aeronautics systems division. That division also recorded $2.8 billion in sales, an 8% decline from the first quarter of 2024. Overall, Northrop's profits dropped $498 million when compared to the first quarter of 2024, losing 46% of the $1.1 billion in operating income reported a year ago. Nearly all of that was due to the B-21 loss. Warden said the B-21 is completing its engineering and manufacturing development phase, and is now going through key tests to prove the bomber can carry out all of its objectives. Northrop Grumman is now working through the first two low-rate initial production, or LRIP, lots, she said, and has begun advance work known as long lead work on the third and fourth lots. 'We've built a good bit of experience now in building the aircraft,' Warden said, which is helping Northrop reduce the risk that comes with building a new, advanced aircraft. The Air Force and Northrop Grumman rolled out the B-21, which will eventually replace the B-1 Lancer and B-2 Spirit bombers, in December 2022, and the plane took its first flight the following November. The B-21′s development and testing have been relatively smooth, and multiple officials and lawmakers have praised it. But Warden has cautioned Northrop Grumman's investors since early 2023 that the company would likely initially lose money on the program and turn a profit later. The most recent losses followed a $1.6 billion loss that Northrop also reported on the B-21 in the fourth quarter of 2023. Former Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall also told lawmakers in April 2024 that the Air Force's costs for the plane were coming down as a result of negotiations with Northrop. At the time of the rollout, the B-21′s inflation adjusted average procurement unit cost was about $692 million. The Air Force plans to buy at least 100 B-21s but has left the door open to buying more bombers. The manufacturing changes that led to this year's losses are related to the lessons Northrop learned as it scaled up production, Warden said, and were made jointly with the Air Force. But those lessons will be absorbed and 'behind us' as Northrop finishes the LRIP phase and moves into full-rate production, she said. Warden said the process changes resulted in a larger share of the B-21 loss than the material costs. Northrop Grumman is also building the LGM-35A Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile for the Air Force, which the service wants to replace the Cold War-era Minuteman III nuclear missiles. Warden also said the Air Force and Northrop Grumman in March conducted a successful static fire test of Sentinel's first stage solid rocket motor. But Sentinel is facing significant overruns in its projected future costs, stemming from higher-than-expected expenses in the construction of facilities such as launch centers. Northrop is continuing to work with the Air Force to find ways to bring down costs and make its schedule more efficient, Warden said . 'What we look at in [Sentinel's program] restructuring is to ensure that the changes and requirements are adequately reflected in the design and ultimately in the contract, and we'll be working to do that with the government,' Warden said. Sign in to access your portfolio
Business Insider
23-04-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
Northrop Grumman is taking a financial hit on its B-21 Raider stealth bomber
Northrop Grumman posted a drop in first-quarter profits, blaming higher manufacturing costs for its B-21 Raider stealth bomber. Sales totalled $9.5 billion in the quarter, down 7% compared to last year, the company said. Reuters reported that the figure was below the analysts' average expectation of about $9.92 billion. The company said it recorded a pre-tax loss of $477 million on its B-21 programs, and that investments to boost future B-21 production and higher-than-expected material costs were to blame. In a conference call, Kathy Warden, Northrop Grumman's president, said the drop was "largely relating to higher manufacturing costs" for the B-21, per The War Zone. She said it was "primarily resulting from a process change we made to enable a higher production rate, as well as increases in the projected material cost." She said Northrop Grumman had "underestimated the amount of consumption of both materials as well as the price increase that we are seeing." The B-21 is the first new stealth bomber to be developed for the US Air Force in 30 years, and took its maiden flight in November 2023. Business Insider reported last year that the plane is expected to form the backbone of the US bomber fleet, and that its state-of-the-art stealth capabilities are designed to evade sophisticated air defense systems. A low rate initial production contract — a contract for the manufacture of a small batch of B-21s for testing — was signed in January 2024. Gen. Anthony J Cotton, head of US Strategic Command, said last month that he wanted to see the Air Force boost the number of B-21s it plans to deploy from 100 to around 145. He said the plane's initial low production rate was set "when the geopolitical environment was a little bit different than what we face today." The B-21 is expected to enter service by the end of the decade. In the conference call, Warden said that the company was taking a financial hit now in order to be in a position to ramp up production of the plane going forward.
