A healthy nuclear deterrent without a large, healthy intercontinental ballistic missile force just isn’t possible. The Air Force currently has 450 missiles on three bases, spread out across five states, said Lt. Gen. Stephen Wilson, deputy commander of US Strategic Command. Without those, a potential adversary could launch an attack focused on the small number of bomber bases and submarine bases, and effectively take out the US nuclear option. During a 2013 visit to China, Chinese officials said North Korea had 10 missiles, a number that potentially could destroy the intellectual capability at national laboratories, along with the production, delivery, and weapons storage of nuclear bombs. “I think having a very affordable deterrent capability, like today’s ground-based deterrent … makes great sense to our country,” Wilson said. “It means an adversary has to go all in with a large number of weapons.” (See also: Moving Forward on GBSD and Needed Nuclear Investment)
NASA Boss: Race to Moon Has National Security Stakes
Sept. 15, 2026
NASA is pushing hard to get astronauts back to the moon by 2028—and the urgency is driven in no small part by the national security implications of doing so before China does, Administrator Jared Isaacman said Sept. 15.
