{"id":2082525,"date":"2023-10-28T16:38:02","date_gmt":"2023-10-28T20:38:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-defense-departments-nuclear-weapons-management-presents-major-risk-per-gov-accountability-office\/"},"modified":"2023-10-28T16:46:41","modified_gmt":"2023-10-28T20:46:41","slug":"biden-defense-departments-nuclear-weapons-management-presents-major-risk-per-gov-accountability-office","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-defense-departments-nuclear-weapons-management-presents-major-risk-per-gov-accountability-office\/","title":{"rendered":"Biden&#8217;s Defense Department&#8217;s Nuclear Weapons Management Poses Significant Risk, Says Gov Accountability Office."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fbiden-defense-departments-nuclear-weapons-management-presents-major-risk-per-gov-accountability-office%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2082525&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The \u200bDepartment of Defense (DOD) is facing a\u200d significant risk\u200d to national security due to its current management of nuclear weapons, according\u2062 to the latest report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO). The GAO report, published on Thursday, highlights the DOD&#8217;s failure to address oversight \u2062issues since 2021. This\u2063 lack of continuity in nuclear oversight structure\u200d began during the final week \u2063of the Trump \u200dadministration.<\/p>\n<p>The GAO expressed concern about the DOD&#8217;s frequent modifications to its nuclear enterprise\u200c oversight structure, stating that it puts\u2062 oversight continuity at risk and \u2062could impact senior leaders&#8217; ability to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/oregon-governor-encourages-people-to-call-police-on-neighbors-violating-covid-orders\/\" title=\"Oregon Governor Encourages People To Call Police On Neighbors Violating COVID Orders\">make informed decisions<\/a>. One notable change occurred\u2064 on\u2063 January\u200b 14, 2021, just six days\u2062 before President Joe Biden took office, when Acting \u200cSecretary of Defense Chris Miller replaced the Nuclear Deterrent \u200cEnterprise Review Group (NDERG) with the Secretary of Defense \u200cNuclear Transition Review\u200c (SNTR). The SNTR was then replaced by the Deputy&#8217;s Management Action Group\u2063 (DMAG) last year.<\/p>\n<p>In an August 2021 report on the SNTR, the GAO\u2062 raised concerns about the group&#8217;s lack of specific \u200croles, responsibilities, and communication procedures. \u200bDespite the GAO&#8217;s recommendations, the DOD has only implemented one out of three, \u200cwhich involves providing guidance to \u200densure progress on the 2014 nuclear enterprise review recommendations.<\/p>\n<p>In a related January \u20642022 \u2064report,\u2063 the GAO issued four additional recommendations regarding DOD \u200dcoordination with the Department of Energy \u2063(DOE), which is\u200c responsible for nuclear weapons modernization and infrastructure. However, none of these recommendations \u200bhave been \u200bmet.<\/p>\n<p>The GAO&#8217;s latest report once again urges the DOD to address its unmet recommendations, which include clarifying roles \u200cand responsibilities of oversight organizations, establishing effective communication and collaboration methods, prioritizing programs within the nuclear enterprise,\u200c and \u200bmonitoring\u200b issues affecting it.<\/p>\n<p>These\u200b oversight issues were identified during \u200bthe GAO&#8217;s review of the DOD&#8217;s nuclear triad modernization efforts. The \u2063nuclear\u200c triad consists of\u200c land, sea, and air nuclear weapons that form the nation&#8217;s deterrence system.\u2063 However, all three \u200ccomponents are decades past their \u2062planned service life.<\/p>\n<p>The DOD estimates that\u200d modernizing the \u2062nuclear defense systems will cost \u200bapproximately $350 billion over the next 20 years. The land leg, which includes intercontinental ballistic\u200c missiles (ICBMs), currently \u200drelies on the Minuteman \u2063III \u2063system, which is nearly 50 years old. It is scheduled \u2064to be replaced by the \u200bSentinel missile system in 2030.<\/p>\n<p>The sea leg, consisting of\u2063 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/us-v-china-a-menacing-national-security-trend\/\" title=\"US v China: A Menacing National Security Trend\">ballistic missile submarines<\/a> (SSBNs), currently uses Ohio-class submarines \u200cdesigned in the 1970s. The DOD extended their service life to \u206242 years, \u2064but they will be replaced by the Columbia-class SSBNs\u2064 starting in 2027.<\/p>\n<p>The air leg, represented by bomber planes, includes the B-52 and B-2 bombers. The B-52 has been in operation since the \u20621950s,\u2062 while the \u2063B-2 has been in operation since the 1990s.\u2064 The B-52 is expected to last \u2062until the 2050s with modifications, but the GAO emphasizes the need for greater urgency in modernization.\u2063 The B-2 \u2064will be replaced by the B-21 bombers in the coming\u2064 years.<\/p>\n<p>The GAO\u2062 issued a report in January \u2063with six recommendations for conducting a schedule risk analysis on the Columbia-class SSBNs, \u200cbut none\u2064 of these recommendations have been\u2063 implemented.  <\/p>\n<h2> What \u2064steps will the DOD take to clarify the roles and responsibilities of key organizations within the nuclear oversight structure and ensure \u2064accountability, as recommended by the GAO<\/h2>\n<p><span>  \u2063Nuclear oversight. Firstly, the GAO recommended that \u200dthe DOD\u200c establish a plan to evaluate\u200c the\u200d effectiveness\u200b of \u2064the current nuclear oversight structure and to address any gaps or weaknesses. Secondly, they suggested that the DOD develop and implement a comprehensive communication strategy to ensure effective coordination and exchange of information among senior leaders and stakeholders. Thirdly, the \u200dGAO recommended that the DOD clarify the roles \u200band responsibilities of key organizations within the nuclear oversight structure to avoid confusion and\u2062 ensure accountability. Lastly, they advised\u200b the DOD to establish a mechanism to assess and address any risks or\u2064 challenges associated \u2063with changes in leadership and transitions.<\/p>\n<p>The GAO&#8217;s concerns are warranted, as the management of nuclear weapons is a critical aspect of \u2063national security. The\u200d lack of continuity and clarity \u200cin the\u2063 DOD&#8217;s oversight structure creates \u200bvulnerabilities that could be exploited by malicious actors or result in inefficiencies and miscommunication. Moreover, changes to\u200d the oversight structure shortly before a\u2063 new <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-defense-departments-nuclear-weapons-management-presents-major-risk-per-gov-accountability-office\/\" title=\"Biden's Defense Department's Nuclear Weapons Management Poses Significant Risk, Says Gov Accountability Office.\">administration takes\u200c office \u2063raises questions<\/a> about the motives and potential implications of\u200b such decisions.<\/p>\n<p>The DOD must take these \u200bconcerns \u2064seriously \u200band promptly address the \u2064recommendations put forth by \u2063the GAO. Failure to do so not \u2064only puts national security \u2062at risk\u200b but also undermines the confidence \u2064of the\u200b American people\u200c in the DOD&#8217;s ability to effectively manage\u2064 and \u200csafeguard nuclear \u200cweapons.<\/p>\n<p>Clear channels of communication, well-defined roles and responsibilities, and a robust evaluation process are all\u200c essential components of an effective \u200doversight structure.\u200b By implementing the GAO&#8217;s recommendations, the DOD can enhance \u200dits \u2064ability to \u2064make informed decisions, ensure accountability,\u2063 and\u2063 mitigate risks to national security.<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, \u200dit is crucial \u200cfor\u200c the DOD \u200cto \u2064prioritize stability and continuity in its nuclear\u2062 enterprise oversight structure. \u2063Changes \u200cin leadership and transitions should be carefully managed to minimize disruptions and ensure a smooth transition of responsibilities.<\/p>\n<p>Ultimately, the DOD\u2063 has a paramount duty \u200dto protect the nation&#8217;s security and maintain\u2063 the \u200bcredibility of its nuclear deterrence. This requires a\u200d strong and reliable oversight structure \u2064that\u2062 can effectively address evolving threats, adapt to changing circumstances, and provide timely and accurate information to senior leaders.<\/p>\n<p>To achieve this, the DOD must\u200b heed the warnings and \u2064recommendations of the GAO and take immediate action to\u2063 address the deficiencies in\u2064 its current \u2062nuclear oversight management. The national security of \u200dthe United States depends on it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>that the DOD&#8217;s inadequate management of nuclear weapons poses a significant threat to the country&#8217;s security. In their recent report, the Government Accountability Office highlighted the DOD&#8217;s failure to address numerous oversight concerns that have persisted since 2021. As Congress&#8217; auditing and investigative body, the GAO emphasized the urgent need for improved nuclear weapons management.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":243,"featured_media":2082526,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[541],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2082525","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-daily-wire"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2082525","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/243"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2082525"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2082525\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2082526"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2082525"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2082525"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2082525"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}