Nuclear Weapons: US Plans

Nuclear weapons: U.S. plans to increase nuclear spending - latimes.com http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-nuke-report-201...

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U.S. plans to increase nuclear spending The Latest | NEWS AS IT HAPPENS Obama administration officials say that as the U.S. shrinks its number of nuclear warheads, it must modernize and be prepared to ramp up production quickly if a threat arises. Gulf oil spill: BP postpones test for sealing off well when leak in equipment is detected - Greenspace 07/15/2010, 6:17 a.m. By Paul Richter, Tribune Washington Bureau 3 July 15, 2010 Meet Burberry designer Christopher Bailey in L.A. - All The Rage 07/15/2010, 6:00 a.m. Share E-mail Print Share Text Size 'Top Chef': What's with all the catfighting and fooling around? - Show Tracker 07/15/2010, 6:00 a.m. RELATED Max Meisel knows how to assist a 'Real Housewife' Chart: Nuclear Reporting from Washington — spending - Show Tracker 07/15/2010, 6:00 a.m. Even as it touts U.S. efforts to sharply reduce its number of The Deal: Moroccan style for less at Mosaik's first nuclear warheads, the Obama administration plans to sale - Home & Garden 07/15/2010, 6:00 a.m. increase spending on the aging nuclear weapons infrastructure to levels reminiscent of the Cold War, a new budget document shows.

A 20-year spending plan from the agency that manages the nuclear arsenal shows that the administration wants to hike nuclear weapons spending to an average of more than $8 billion a year, compared with recent spending levels of $6 billion to $7 billion a year.

» Don't miss a thing. Get breaking news alerts delivered to your inbox. NEW iPhone app » The National Nuclear Security Administration plan is drawing criticism from some arms-control RSS » Twitter » Facebook » Mobile » groups, who contend that the increased spending is unjustified and may prompt other world powers to

doubt President Obama's pledge to reduce U.S. reliance on nuclear weapons. Sub- Kindle » E-Edition » News- Events » scribe » "We have to think carefully about what signal we're sending to other countries," said Hans Kristensen letters » of the Federation of American Scientists.

Advocates of the plan within the Obama administration and Congress say the spending increase is Receive news alerts on your overdue to modernize the nuclear support complex, parts of which haven't been updated since World mobile phone. War II. Mobile Phone (required) Administration officials also argue that even as they reduce the number of U.S. warheads, they need to BREAKING - Breaking news alerts bolster the government's ability to increase weapons production quickly if a new threat arises. ENTERTAINMENT - Hollywood news and buzz Obama has made reduction of the nuclear arsenal a central element of his foreign policy agenda. The president hopes that by shrinking the U.S. stockpile, his administration can persuade other nuclear OFFERS & DEALS - Coupons, sales and specials states to do likewise and encourage nonnuclear states to decide against starting nuclear weapons SPORTS - Alerts and scores programs. BUSINESS - Market numbers and trends The Senate is now considering the New START nuclear treaty, a pact with Russia that would reduce the number of active long-range nuclear warheads by about 30%.

The increase in nuclear spending has political value for the White House: Administration officials hope it will help win the votes of conservative senators who have reservations about the treaty with Russia.

Kristensen said the plan suggests that the agency is preparing to draw down the U.S. nuclear stockpile to between 3,000 to 3,500 weapons by 2021, a drop of 30% to 40% from the current arsenal of about MOST VIEWED MOST COMMENTED 5,000 weapons. An agency spokeswoman declined to comment on the estimate.

Other analysts said such a drop would be consistent with the kind of reduction that Obama has already described. "It's not surprising," said Daryl Kimball of the Arms Control Assn.

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Reductions already underway will reduce the stockpile to 4,700 weapons by 2012. In the last four-plus decades, the U.S. arsenal has fallen 85% from its peak of 31,000 warheads in 1967. Tiger Woods begins 2010 British Open with bright shirt, 5 birdies But in the world of nuclear weapons, there's a lot more to pay for than just warheads. The plan calls Iran denies that returned citizen is nuclear for the United States to spend $175 billion from 2010 to 2030 on new weapons production, testing and scientist simulation facilities, and on extending the life of nuclear weapons in the arsenal. Argentina legalizes same-sex marriage And that's not all: The Pentagon's spending to maintain and operate the equipment that delivers the Grim Sleeper serial killer suspect attacked in warheads — missiles, bombers and submarines — is not included. County Jail Spending for the weapons complex would peak between 2014 and 2018 under the plan. China succeeds in slowing economy's growth Henry Sokolski, a Pentagon official under President George H.W. Bush, cautioned that despite the 'Tea party' lashes back at NAACP over charges Obama administration's planning, the nuclear stockpile ultimately could be vastly different from what of racism is being forecast. Passage of financial overhaul is only half the "For the first year or two any spending plan for the executive branch will be quite firm and useful," battle said Sokolski, now with the Nonproliferation Policy Education Center in Washington. But because of 'Common core standards': education reform changing threats and fiscal realities, he added, in future years "they become exponentially more that makes sense speculative, no matter what they say." Healthcare law offers preventive care at no cost [email protected] Saving sea turtles one egg at a time Copyright © 2010, The Los Angeles Times

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