III 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 24 

Supporting a robust and modern ICBM force to maximize the value of 

the nuclear triad of the United States. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JANUARY 17, 2019 

Mr. HOEVEN (for himself, Mr. BARRASSO, Mr. CRAMER, Mr. DAINES, Mr. 

ENZI, and Mr. TESTER) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services 

RESOLUTION 

Supporting a robust and modern ICBM force to maximize 

the value of the nuclear triad of the United States. 

Whereas land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles (in this 

preamble referred to as ‘‘ICBMs’’) have been a critical 

part of the strategic deterrent of the United States for 

6 decades in conjunction with air and sea-based strategic 

delivery systems; 

Whereas President John F. Kennedy referred to the deployment of the first Minuteman missile during the Cuban 

Missile Crisis as his ‘‘ace in the hole’’; 

Whereas the Minuteman III missile entered service in 1970 

and is still deployed in 2019, well beyond its originally 

intended service life; 


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•SRES 24 IS 

Whereas the ICBM force of the United States peaked at 

more than 1,200 deployed missiles during the Cold War; 

Whereas the ICBM force of the United States currently consists of approximately 400 Minuteman III missiles deployed across 450 operational missile silos, each carrying 

a single warhead; 

Whereas the Russian Federation currently deploys at least 

300 ICBMs with multiple warheads loaded on each missile and has announced plans to replace its Soviet-era 

systems with modernized ICBMs; 

Whereas the People’s Republic of China currently deploys at 

least 75 ICBMs and plans to grow its ICBM force 

through the deployment of modernized, road-mobile 

ICBMs that carry multiple warheads; 

Whereas the Russian Federation and the People’s Republic of 

China deploy nuclear weapons across a variety of platforms in addition to their ICBM forces; 

Whereas numerous countries possess or are seeking to develop nuclear weapons capabilities that pose challenges to 

the nuclear deterrence of the United States; 

Whereas the nuclear deterrent of the United States is comprised of a triad of delivery systems for nuclear weapons, 

including submarine-launched ballistic missiles (in this 

preamble referred to as ‘‘SLBMs’’), air-delivered gravity 

bombs and cruise missiles, and land-based ballistic missiles that provide interlocking and mutually reinforcing 

attributes that enhance strategic deterrence; 

Whereas weakening one leg of the triad limits the deterrent 

value of the other legs of the triad; 

Whereas, in the nuclear deterrent of the United States, 

ICBMs provide commanders with the most prompt reVerDate Sep 11 2014 23:38 Jan 17, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR24.IS SR24

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•SRES 24 IS 

sponse capability, SLBMs provide stealth and survivability, and aircraft armed with nuclear weapons provide 

flexibility; 

Whereas the ICBM force of the United States forces any 

would-be attacker to confront more than 400 discrete targets, thus creating an effectively insurmountable targeting problem for a potential adversary; 

Whereas the size, dispersal, and global reach of the ICBM 

force of the United States ensures that no adversary can 

escalate a crisis beyond the ability of the United States 

to respond; 

Whereas a potential attacker would be forced to expend far 

more warheads to destroy the ICBMs of the United 

States than the United States would lose in an attack, 

because of the deployment of a single warhead on each 

ICBM of the United States; 

Whereas the ICBM force provides a persistent deterrent capability that reinforces strategic stability; 

Whereas ICBMs are the cheapest delivery system for nuclear 

weapons for the United States to operate and maintain; 

Whereas United States Strategic Command has validated 

military requirements for the unique capabilities of 

ICBMs; 

Whereas, in a 2014 analysis of alternatives, the Air Force 

concluded that replacing the Minuteman III missile would 

provide upgraded capabilities at lower cost when compared with extending the service life of the Minuteman 

III missile; and 

Whereas the Minuteman III replacement program, known as 

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ades after the program enters service: Now, therefore, be 

it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) recognizes that land-based intercontinental 

3 ballistic missiles (in this resolution referred to as 

4 ‘‘ICBMs’’) have certain characteristics, including re5 sponsiveness, persistence, and dispersal, that en6 hance strategic stability and magnify the deterrent 

7 value of the air and sea-based legs of the nuclear 

8 triad of the United States; 

9 (2) emphasizes the role that ICBMs have 

10 played and continue to play in deterring attacks on 

11 the United States and its allies; 

12 (3) observes that while arms control agreements 

13 have reduced the size of the ICBM force of the 

14 United States, adversaries of the United States con15 tinue to enhance, enlarge, and modernize their 

16 ICBM forces; 

17 (4) supports the modernization of the ICBM 

18 force of the United States through the ground-based 

19 strategic deterrent program; 

20 (5) highlights that ICBMs have the lowest oper21 ation, maintenance, and modernization costs of any 

22 part of the nuclear deterrent of the United States; 

23 and 


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•SRES 24 IS 

1 (6) opposes efforts to unilaterally reduce the 

2 size of the ICBM force of the United States or delay 

3 the implementation of the ground-based strategic de4 terrent program, which would degrade the deterrent 

5 capabilities of a fully operational and modernized 

6 nuclear triad. 

Æ 


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