In the late periods of the Cold War, START I (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) and then the INF Treaty (Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty / Medium Range Nuclear Forces) were signed to reduce nuclear tension in the world. In this way, many nuclear weapons, especially tactical ones, were disposed, and the number of strategic systems in question was significantly reduced.
After the USA and Russia announced one after another that they would suspend the INF in 2019, the parties accelerated their nuclear weapons activities again. The US Navy also re-requested cruise missiles with a nuclear warhead. In this context, 5 million US Dollars budget approved for feasibility studies in the previous months for the Fiscal Year 2020. It was stated that analysis of alternatives works will be completed in 2022 and a detailed report will be presented to the government.
Within the scope of Sea-Launched Cruise Missile-Nuclear (SLCM-N) studies, the US Navy is considering different alternatives. In the first place, W76-2 warheads with a power of 5-7 kilotons are shown as the strongest candidates. Later, more powerful W80s are spoken in defence backstages, where the navy will be integrated into cruise missiles as part of the tactical nuclear need. Although there is no system mentioned yet as the carrier platform, the strongest candidate is the UGM / BGM-109 Tomahawk missiles, which have held the same mission in the past.
