The United States is embarking on the construction of its first new nuclear warhead in four decades, as confirmed by Energy Department officials in congressional testimony.

The W93 warhead, designated for submarine-launched ballistic missiles, will be developed without nuclear testing, utilizing $19.8 billion allocated by the National Nuclear Security Agency (NNSA) in the fiscal 2025 budget.

The project, initiated in 2022, aims for production to commence in the mid-2030s, with focus on enhancing nuclear forces modernization, particularly within the Navy’s nuclear-missile submarine fleet.

The W93, designed to meet future adversary threats, incorporates modern technologies while maintaining compatibility with existing designs.

It promises improved safety, security, and flexibility, along with lighter weight for enhanced missile ranges, the Washington Times has reported.

Concurrently, the U.S. is modernizing five existing warhead types and developing a new variant of the B61 gravity bomb.

Notably absent from the budget request is funding for the submarine-launched cruise missile-nuclear (SLCM-N), though plans for its development continue.

Collaboration with the British government is anticipated in the construction of the W93, which responds to evolving global nuclear dynamics, particularly China’s nuclear expansion.

Written by B.C. Begley