The US plans to develop a new nuclear-armed sea-launched cruise missile (SLCM-N), with the first prototype expected to be created in the next three years, according to a government document reviewed by Sputnik on Tuesday.
The system, which will be mounted on submarines, should be ready for military deployment by 2034, the document read, adding that the first prototypes will nevertheless be needed in the next three years.
According to the document, all operations related to nuclear warheads, including warhead installation, missile storage, and loading and unloading of nuclear submarines, will be carried out at US strategic weapons sites at Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, Georgia, and Bangor Base, Washington State. The new missiles are expected to be installed on Virginia-class attack submarines.
The Pentagon has requested that representatives of the U.S. defense industry conduct market research to determine if there is interest and resources for such a project. This information should provide an understanding of the industry’s readiness to rapidly produce the prototypes, as well as the prospects for introducing the new missiles into the U.S. defense system.
