China Builds New Ground Silos for ICBMs

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By Kris Osborn – President & Editor-In-Chief, Warrior Maven

China’s massive expansion of nuclear weapons, coupled with the sheer size of Russia’s existing and highly modernized arsenal are inspiring the Air Force to take specific, measured steps to ensure its now-emerging Ground Based Strategic Deterrent ICBM will be built to last half a century if not longer.

Ground Based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD)

The plan for the Air Force GBSD is that the weapon will need to be consistently upgradeable such that it can function well into the 2070s. This kind of approach, often referred to by developers as “modular” or consisting of “open architecture,” means the weapons technical infrastructure and standards are being engineered with common sets of IP protocol to enable long-term interoperability with new enhancements likely to be added in coming years as next-generation innovations emerge.

“GBSD as a weapon system is being designed to respond to known threats of our current adversaries and adapt in future to threats that may come along due to maturation of technologies. Even the ground piece and the hardening of the C2 network will adapt over time. Cyber today is not going to be cyber tomorrow. Our solutions will have to adapt and be flexible,” Greg Manuel, Sector Vice President and General manager, Northrop Grumman, told The National Interest in an interview.

There are additional reasons why the Pentagon is pursuing GBSD with a sense of urgency. Not only is there a concern to avoid any kind of functional missile gap in capability until GBSD arrives in sufficient numbers, but Pentagon leaders are alarmed and extremely disturbed by China’s massive effort to increase its nuclear arsenal. Pentagon and Congressional reports say China will double its nuclear arsenal over the next decade.

China ICBM Silos

“Only four months ago, commercial satellite imagery discovered what is accepted to nuclear missile fields in western China. Each has nearly 120 ICBM silos. Now these compliment and are added into what they already have,” Adm. Charles Richard, Commander, U.S. Strategic Command, told an audience at the symposium in Huntsville, Ala.