What Nuclear Weapons Delivery Systems Really Cost

The U.S. Nuclear Weapons Cost Study Project was completed in August 1998 and resulted in the book Atomic Audit: The Costs and Consequences of U.S. Nuclear Weapons Since 1940 edited by Stephen I. Schwartz. These project pages should be considered historical.

– All figures in constant 1996 dollars –

The following figures include research, development, testing and evaluation (RDT&E), and procurement costs and exclude operations, support, training, post-deployment upgrades or conversions, construction, and personnel costs. Warhead and bomb costs are rough averages only based on total research, development, testing and production costs during the Cold War; actual costs are classified.

B-52H Stratofortress bomber — $42.9 million each

• Armament:
  • up to 20 Air-Launched Cruise Missiles(incl. W80-1 warheads) ~$8.4 million each
  • or up to 20 Conventional Air-Launched Cruise Missiles ~$3.8 million each or up to 20 Advanced Cruise Missiles (incl. W80-1 warheads) ~$16.3 million each
  • or up to 20 nuclear gravity bombs (B61-7, B61-11, B83) ~$4.9 million each

Total — ~$119-$369 million each

B-2A Spirit bomber — $2.6 billion each

• Armament:
  • up to 16 gravity bombs (B61-7, B61-11, B83, single type or combination) ~$4.9 million each
  • or up to 80 Mk. 82 500-pound bombs (conventional)
  • or up to 16 Mk. 84 2000-pound bombs (conventional)
  • or up to 16 GBU-36 (Global Positioning System Aided Munition) 2000-pound bombs (conventional)

Total — ~$2.7 billion each

Minuteman III missile — $33.5 million each

• Armament:
  • 3 W62170 kiloton warheads
  • or3 W78 335 kiloton warheads

Total — ~$48.5 million each

MX/Peacekeeper missile — $189.4 million each

• Armament:
  • 10 W87300 kiloton warheads
• Subtotal armament — ~$49 million

Total — ~$238 million each

Ohio-class Trident submarine — ~$1.9 billion each

• Armament:¹
  • Trident I/C-4 missile(24 per submarine, including 5 W76 100 kiloton warheads per missile) ~$61.9 million each
  • orTrident II/D-5 missile (24 per submarine, including 5 W76 100 kiloton warheads per missile or 5 W88 475 kiloton warheads per missile) ~$89.7 million each

Total — ~$3.4-4.1 billion each

¹ Until quite recently, it was assumed that Trident I and Trident II missiles carried 8 warheads each. In January 1998, however, officials with the United States Strategic Command acknowledged that the missiles on submarines on hard alert at sea (within range of their targets) are armed with just 5 warheads apiece. See Elaine M. Grossman, “Briefing Shows Navy Now Loads Trident Missiles With 5 Warheads, Not 8,” Inside the Pentagon, vol. 14, no. 5, February 5, 1998, pp. 5-6.

• Subtotal armament — ~$1.5-2.2 billion

• Subtotal armament — ~$15 million

• Subtotal armament (nuclear only) — ~$78 million

• Subtotal armament — ~$76-$326 million

Copyright © 1998 The Brookings Institution