Sea‐​Launched Nuclear Cruise Missile: Necessary or Excessive?

In October 2022, the White House released its 2022 Nuclear Posture Review, laying out the Biden administration’s nuclear strategy. Perhaps the most controversial policy change in the report was the cancellation of the sea‐​launched nuclear cruise missile (SLCM‑N), which was introduced in the 2018 review. Less than two years after the cancellation, Congress reversed the program’s course once again by establishing the SLCM‑N as a program of record through the fiscal year 2024 National Defense Authorization Act.

Supporters argue that growing nuclear threats make the SLCM‑N more important now than ever. Opponents point to the opportunity costs of adding yet another weapon system to an already stressed nuclear modernization plan. What should be the future of this highly contested program?

Please join the Cato Institute as we explore the benefits and opportunity costs of adding the SLCM‑N to the US nuclear arsenal. Cato’s Eric Gomez and the Atlantic Council’s Robert Soofer will examine the potential role of the SLCM‑N in the US nuclear arsenal, provide an overview of the cases for and against it, and allow participants an opportunity to engage in the discussion.