The National Nuclear Security Administration announced that upgraded fuze components have been installed in many high-yield nuclear warheads aboard U.S. Navy submarines as of July 2021. The defense contractors that build these weapons source the parts from specialty manufacturers dedicated to designing high-precision aviation and defense parts, like switches. Defense contractors in search of parts are often able to buy today from a switch manufacturer.
New Capabilities Of Electronic Sensors In U.S. Missiles
Hundreds of powerful U.S. warheads now have an enhanced ability to detonate with greater accuracy thanks to the upgraded computing gear, wires, sensors, and batteries within their fuzing mechanisms. Warheads contain this equipment within the super-hard metal shells at the tip of the weapons. According to military planners, precise detonation increases a missile’s ability to destroy difficult to reach targets, such as reinforced missile silos, mountain sanctuaries, or storage bunkers.
The new components being added to the U.S. military arsenal control when a nuclear blast occurs. In conjunction with other engineering improvements, the missiles now have an improved ability to explode at the best height or moment. Detonation at the best location creates the most pressure possible on targets and adds to the likelihood of achieving a strategically devastating blast. The upgraded fuzing and switch mechanisms are able to function precisely even as missiles travel at speeds of over 15,000 miles per hour.
A mechanical engineer speaking to Congress in 2014 explained that the warhead fuze, which measures only about 2 feet by 1 foot, would be installed in three new warheads under development at that time. Land-based missile installations, missiles on naval ships, and warheads transported by F-16 and F-35 warplanes are all being upgraded.
Strategic And Political Consequences
The growing militancy of both Russia and China have motivated the improvements in the U.S. nuclear arsenal. A Defense Department consultant said the warhead fuze enhancements doubled the destructive power of the Navy’s submarine fleet. Military analysts hope that antagonistic nations will be deterred from risking the threat of a U.S. nuclear attack due to the country’s ability to destroy targets with greater accuracy and effectiveness.
On the other hand, some analysts fear that the potential for more destruction could prompt nations to launch a nuclear strike in the early stages of a conflict. The reasoning behind this fear is that a country might see a greater chance of success in using nuclear assets immediately before they can be destroyed by highly accurate missiles.
A physicist and co-director of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace cautioned against developing more accurate weapons. In his opinion, preventing unnecessary conflicts should be the top priority of world leaders. This greatly lessens the chance that highly destructive weapons would be used at all. Additionally, he thinks that technology would be better used to secure nuclear weapons and ensure that they are not launched by accident.
Will Weapon Accuracy Reduce Need For Big Arsenals?
Multiple government officials have expressed their view that highly accurate weapons will lead to smaller arsenals. The increased destructiveness of strategic targets enabled by greater accuracy could mean that the United States could achieve its strategic goals with fewer weapons. A small but potent arsenal may allow the country to shrink the overall size of its nuclear arsenal.
However, a leader in the U.S. Strategic Command said that arsenal size is not necessarily the correct way to view the situation. The Navy Admiral said the number of missiles was a crude measurement. Overall destructive power and accuracy represented better ways to compare military strength between nuclear powers.