Pete Aguilar: “I want to thank the chairman of the full committee and the ranking member for their hard work in developing this…”

“I want to thank the chairman of the full committee and the ranking member for their hard work in developing this product. Mr. Chairman, our nuclear triad and the strategic deterrence it provides helps protect our Nation from the existential threat of nuclear war. However, the age of its elements must give us pause. Our B-52s, of which we have over 70 in current use, are over 50 years old. Our Ohio- class submarines' lifespan has been extended from 30 years to 42 years, and the first Minuteman III ICBMs were deployed 40 years ago. With the number of nuclear-related threats increasing around the globe, a credible, safe, secure, and reliable nuclear deterrent is vital to our national security. But just because the modernization is necessary does not mean that we should fail to track how much this modernization process will cost. Over the next 30 years, we will be replacing our bombers, ICBMs, and ballistic missile submarines while also sustaining and modernizing our nuclear bombs and warheads. Additionally, the 2018 Nuclear Posture Review called for the development of low-yield nuclear weapons, a nuclear-armed sea-launched cruise missile, and continuation of the Long Range Standoff cruise missile. Our old requirements, in combination with these new initiatives, make cost estimates even more important if we hope to balance our conventional and nuclear force investments.…”