Biden Administration Cancels Nuclear-Capable, Submarine Launched Cruise Missile (SLCM)

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

The Navy has “zeroed” out the budget line for its previous plans to architect a new, nuclear-capable, Submarine Launched Cruise Missile (SLCM), a weapon called for in the previous 2018 Nuclear Posture Review intended to give commanders tactical, low-yield nuclear weapons options with which to deter enemies and hold potential attackers at risk.

Submarine Launched Cruise Missile (SLCM)

The Biden administration’s decision to cancel the SLCM has generated some debate and concern among Congressional decision-makers, some of whom asked the Navy to explain the rationale for no longer pursuing the weapon. Several members of the Senate Armed Services Committee questioned the Navy leadership about the decision, raising a concern that it might leave the US unnecessarily vulnerable in some respects.

Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro told members of the Senate Armed Services Committee that the President has sufficient “tools” in his tool to deter adversaries considering the use of nuclear weapons. He explained that this includes an ability to deal with the threat of tactical nuclear weapons.

The previous administration’s 2018 Nuclear Posture Review called for the rapid integration of new, low-yield nuclear weapons to expand the envelope of possibilities available to commanders pursuing a strong nuclear deterrence posture. The strategy document called for the introduction of a new, low-yield variant of the submarine-launched, nuclear capable Trident II D5 weapon. 

The Pentagon has already built this weapon by modifying the existing Trident II D5 to accommodate this. In addition to this, the NPR called for a nuclear-capable Submarine-Launched Cruise Missile (SLCM). The Biden administration has canceled the SLCM program, an initiative which has sparked debate in Congress and among military decision makers.