Nuclear Cruise Missile Reconsideration Act of 2017

Nuclear Cruise Missile Reconsideration Act of 2017

This bill prohibits the obligation or expenditure of more than specified amounts by the Department of Defense (DOD) on development of the long-range standoff weapon or any other nuclear-capable air-launched cruise missile, or by the Department of Energy on the life extension program for the W80-4 warhead, until DOD submits to specified congressional committees a Nuclear Posture Review that includes an assessment of:

• the anticipated capabilities of the long-range standoff weapon to hold targets at risk beyond other already existing and planned nuclear-capable delivery systems;
• the anticipated ability of such weapon to elude adversary integrated air and missile defenses compared to the B-21 bomber; and
• the anticipated effect of such weapon on strategic stability relative to other nuclear-armed countries, on the offensive nuclear weapons capabilities and programs of other nuclear-armed countries, on the response of other nuclear-armed countries to proposals to decrease or halt the growth of their nuclear stockpiles, and on the threshold for the use of nuclear weapons.