Ballistic missile submarines, land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles and strategic bombers complement each other in providing a stable deterrent at lower force levels. ICBMs provide a reliable, relatively low-cost weapons system with a high alert rate. Our ballistic missile submarines continue to be the backbone of the nation's deterrent force. Stealthy and survivable, they pose a credible and powerful retaliatory capability to any potential adversary. Your continued support for the D-5 backfit program is essential in convincing potential aggressors that the U.S. intends to retain a strong deterrent.
Bombers provide flexibility and visible posturing capability.
We need continued support in this area to ensure the continued viability of airborne reconnaissance platforms in the future. Command, control, communications, computers and intelligence are increasingly critical to strategic force readiness. We must ensure our systems support combatant commanders across the full range of operational environments we might encounter. All our armed forces are investing heavily in technology, designing new systems to ensure tomorrow's forces support national policies and objectives. However, there are currently no new strategic systems in design.