Precision Global Strike: Is There a Role for the Navy Conventional Trident Modification or the Air Force Conventional Strike Missile

摘要

In 2006, the Navy requested $503 million to fund the Conventional Trident II (D) Modification (CTM) program which would utilize existing Navy Trident II (D5) missiles retrofitted with conventional warheads. The CTM program would be a near-term solution to enhance the United States (U.S.) range of options available for dealing with emerging threats and take advantage of the high readiness levels and short duration flight times inherent in a Submarine Launched Ballistic Missiles (SLBM). The same year, the Air Force requested $27 million to fund a similar Conventional Strike Missile (CSM) as part of a larger Conventional Ballistic Missile (CBM) program which would retrofit retired Minuteman II and Peacekeeper Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs) and provide a mid-term solution. Both plans were born out of the 2006 Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR) request for the fielding of a rapid, precision strike weapons capability within two years of funding. In 2007, the strategic and operational concerns of fielding the CTM and CSM were called into question by the Government Accounting Office (GAO) and various members of Congress. Funding for both programs was cut; a total of $100 million was appropriated for defense-wide research and development funding--propulsion and guidance systems, mission planning, re-entry vehicle design, modeling and simulation efforts, and launch system infrastructure. Congress mandated future funding would be contingent upon further review and Congressionally-funded studies of the concepts.