The new nuclear weapon the Pentagon doesn’t really want, except as a bargaining chip

Published February 6, 2018 5:37pm ET



The Trump administration’s just-released Nuclear Posture Review includes plans for two new weapons: A lower-yield variant of the warhead currently deployed atop submarine-launched long-range missiles, and a submarine-launched cruise missile, or SLCM, that would also carry a low-yield warhead.

But Defense Secretary Jim Mattis told House lawmakers Tuesday the U.S. doesn’t really want to bring back the SLCM (pronounced “slick-em”), a Cold War weapon that President George H.W. Bush stopped deploying and President Barack Obama eliminated from the U.S. nuclear arsenal.

Trusted reporting.Unlimited access.

Subscribe for full access to Washington Examiner coverage, expert political analysis, and subscriber-only journalism.

Get Unlimited Access

Already a member? Log in

Cancel anytime.