U.S. to retire nuclear Tomahawk missiles

Kyodo News ^ | 2/23/2010 | Japan Times

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

The United States has informally told Japan it will retire its sea-based Tomahawk cruise missiles carrying nuclear warheads, in line with President Barack Obama's policy to pursue a world free of atomic weapons, government sources said Monday.

Washington said the move would not affect the nuclear umbrella, addressing concerns in Tokyo about the step's effect on U.S. deterrence against potential attacks from China, North Korea or other countries, the sources said.

The retirement will probably be stipulated in the Nuclear Posture Review, a new nuclear strategic guideline the Obama administration is slated to submit to Congress next month, they said.

U.S. subs carrying nuclear-tipped Tomahawks called in Japan during the Cold War, but the missiles were later removed for storage at bases on the U.S. mainland.

Their retirement will also likely affect debate in Japan over Tokyo's ongoing investigation into a secret pact with Washington to allow the U.S. military to bring nuclear weapons to Japan, because decommissioning will rule out the possibility of nuclear missiles coming into the country.

Past port calls and passage through Japanese waters by submarines armed with Tomahawks have raised controversy in terms of Tokyo's three nonnuclear principles of not possessing, producing or allowing nuclear arms on its territory

[SJSAMPLE]

Obama recently increased funding for a new generation of more reliable, safer (?) and more efficient nuclear weapons.

Our old stuff really needs to be replaced.

[John S Mosby]

Under a normally defense ready posture commander in chief,who is not trying to save America for the rest of the world to pillage, this information would not be common knowledge. For operational security it is not revealed to anyone outside the upper command structure, and vessel’s exec, CO, and weps team, for obvious reasons- if it’s known to be carrying W class weapons it’s an opportunity for theft or sabotage or detonation.

[OldDeckHand]

"Under a normally defense ready posture commander in chief,who is not trying to save America for the rest of the world to pillage, this information would not be common knowledge."

There are plenty of things to be critical of Obama for, but this probably isn't one of them. It's no secret that these Tomahawk's have been in storage for sometime. It's also no secret that they are an aging, and maintenance-heavy asset that we've been looking to completely retire (there a difference between storage and retirement) for some time.

If this announcement is helpful in assuaging the concerns of the Japanese people, who are already a little restless about some other items in the SOFA agreements, then it's probably a smart thing to offer to them.

[2CAVTrooper]

The four older Ohio class boats were converted to SSGN’s and now carry 150 or so Tomahawks.

[OldDeckHand]

"The four older Ohio class boats were converted to SSGN’s and now carry 150 or so Tomahawks."

Absolutely. But just to be clear, those are all armed with purely conventional warheads, however.

[castlegreyskull]

What I do not like, is how Obama is acting like he is freeing the world of nukes, when this really is not the case.

[OldDeckHand]

"Unless I’m mistaken, I thought I’d read the 14 remaining Ohio SSBN’s were now each 24x3 W88’s, having been reduced to 3 warheads per tube."

You're right. Global Security says that the older hulls that were still carrying the W76 were all back-fit by 2008, FWI. Either way, that still roughly 1K warheads on 14 Ohio Class subs. That's a considerable "punch", by anyone's standards.

[freebird5850]

“President Barack Obama’s policy to pursue a world America free of atomic weapons “

So when we get nuked, what’s Barry going to say? Probably something like, “Hey it’s not my fault, you voted me into this!”