The cost of upgrading ground-based nuclear missiles in the United States is increasing. But the authorities are in no hurry to accelerate the project, and some lawmakers are even calling for the abandonment of this type of weapon, writes The Wall Street Journal.

The Pentagon and the White House have consistently stated that nuclear missiles are crucial to national security. But at the same time, American officials acknowledge that efforts to extend the life of existing weapons and structures have reached the limit.

The US Air Force is overseeing the Sentinel (Sentinel) project, which includes replacing ICBMs stationed in mines with newer models. But recently, the military leadership admitted that construction work in the city of Kimball, Nebraska, which surrounds one of the largest missile fields, will not begin until five years later.

The missiles, located in 450 silo launchers, have long since served their projected life of 10 years. Underground systems require thousands of miles of new fiber optic cables, and command centers need to be rebuilt. At the same time, according to officials, some mines will be impossible to restore, and they will have to be built from scratch.

The Pentagon and its contractors seemed to be in the middle of a “nightmare repair.”  They faced serious problems related to the restoration of concrete structures, wiring and modernization of communication systems.

“It’s about scale, reach and complexity that we as a nation haven’t tackled in over 60 years,” said Bill Laplante, the Pentagon’s chief weapons buyer. According to him, the authorities are looking for ways to simplify the Sentinel project, but it may take a year and a half to make a decision on changes.

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