"Bunker Busters": Robust Nuclear Earth Penetrator Issues, FY2005 and FY2006

Medalia, Jonathan

Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service.

关键词: Weapons systems;    Underground storage;    Nuclear weapons - U.S. - Government spending;    Business;    Budgets;   

RP-ID  :  RL32347
RP-ID  :  RL32347 2005-06-23

美国|英语

来源: UNT Digital Library

【 摘 要 】

The Robust Nuclear Earth Penetrator (RNEP) program has been the most controversial nuclear weapon program in Congress for the last several years. Supporters argue that it is needed to attack hard and deeply buried targets (such as leadership bunkers) in countries of concern, thereby deterring or defeating challenges from such nations; critics assert that RNEP would lower the threshold for use of nuclear weapons and prompt other nations to develop nuclearweapons to deter U.S. attack. This report presents a brief technical background on RNEP, then discusses the history of RNEP in Congress and the Administration for the FY2005 and FY2006 budget cycles.