The US Department of Defense has raised the estimated cost of deploying new surface-to-air nuclear missiles to $ 95.8 billion, Report says, referring to TASS.
The weekly Defense News informs, citing sources in the Pentagon, that the planned expenditures are almost $ 10 billion more than the "estimate" of four years ago.
New intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) will replace the Minuteman III, which has been in the arsenal for the last 50 years. The deployment will take place as part of an almost complete overhaul of the US nuclear arsenal in the next few decades. According to preliminary estimates, the program will cost $ 1.2 trillion.
American experts believe the US military has about 400 Minuteman IIIs, each equipped with a nuclear payload of 300 or 335 kilotons. They are ready at Malmstrom (Montana), Maino (North Dakota), and Francis Warren (Wyoming). Another 50 mines are in reserve: if necessary, they can be immediately loaded with ballistic missiles. The Pentagon hoped that new ones would replace these missiles by 2036.