S. 2422 — ICBM Act

This section states 16 congressional findings on the costs, delays, and risks of modernizing the U.S. nuclear arsenal—particularly the Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) program—including a projected $946 billion cost for nuclear forces over FY2025–FY2034 (8.4% of total national defense costs); Sentinel cost growth to $141 billion in constant 2020 dollars (an 81%, or $63 billion, increase from the $78 billion baseline); a total estimated Sentinel life-cycle cost (excluding warheads) of $260 billion; W87-1 warhead development costs of at least $14 billion; and plutonium pit production expansion costs of at least $18 billion. (Thus, the findings highlight Sentinel program delays, Nunn-McCurdy Act review, silo vulnerabilities, "launch on warning" risks from false alarms and cyberattacks, and reduced need for silo-based ICBMs given assured submarine-based retaliation.)

This section declares it to be the policy of the United States that (1) the Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) program, as of enactment, is significantly over budget and behind schedule and should be paused and reevaluated for need and technical merit; (2) the operational life of the Minuteman III ICBM should be safely extended until at least 2050; and (3) investments in the Department of Education are a better use of U.S. taxpayer resources than continuing the current Sentinel program.

This section directs the transfer, as of the date of enactment, of all funds appropriated and available for obligation to the Department of Education for part A of title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) (i.e., basic grants to local educational agencies to improve academic achievement of disadvantaged students) from (1) the Department of Defense for research, development, test, and evaluation of the Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile program, and (2) the National Nuclear Security Administration for the W87-1 warhead modification program.

This section directs the Secretary of Defense, not later than 30 days after enactment, to contract with the National Academy of Sciences for an independent study on extending the service life of Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs)—the U.S. Air Force's current silo-based leg of the nuclear triad—to 2050 or beyond. The study must incorporate input from diverse technical experts (prohibiting participation by Air Force or Department of the Air Force personnel involved in the Sentinel ICBM replacement program) and address 12 specified elements, including (1) cost comparisons through 2050 between Minuteman III life extension and Sentinel deployment; (2) opportunities to incorporate resilience-enhancing technologies into Minuteman III that could apply to Sentinel; (3) benefits and risks of sensors and nondestructive testing to extend missile service life; (4) validation of Minuteman III motor service life estimation methods; (5) alternative service life estimation approaches; (6) risks, benefits, and costs of configuring Trident II D5 submarine-launched ballistic missiles for Minuteman III silos; (7) impacts of reducing deployed ICBMs from 400 to 300 or fewer; (8) Columbia-class submarine features against antisubmarine threats; (9) effects on Russian targeting decisions; (10) U.S. strategic forces survivability estimates against Russian counterforce strikes; (11) W-78 warhead option versus W-87 life extension; and (12) submarine launcher or warhead upload options to offset reduced ICBMs. Not later than 180 days after enactment, the National Academy of Sciences must submit the results to the Secretary (unclassified, with possible classified annex), who must transmit it unchanged to the specified congressional committees not later than 210 days after enactment.