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The Air Force estimates it would cost about $4.5 million to restore nuclear weapon capabilities on approximately 30 B-52 bombers, a calculation that follows proposals from Congress to assess shoring up the U.S. nuclear weapons arsenal in the coming years.
The House and Senate armed services committees included the recommendation in their respective defense policy bills for fiscal 2025. The bombers in question had previously been equipped with the ability to carry nuclear weapons but were converted to conventional aircraft about 10 years ago to comply with a key U.S.-Russia arms control treaty known as New START.
That agreement, which sets limits on both countries’ nuclear arms capabilities, is set to expire in 2026. Proponents of the recommendation say that serious negotiations with Russia aren’t likely and the U.S. needs to prepare for a future without the same restrictions.
Brian Knight, deputy senior materiel leader in the Air Force’s B-52 bomber program office, said Tuesday the service is prepared to meet the timelines proposed in the bill, which calls for the conversions to begin within a month after the treaty limits lift in 2026. The process is estimated to be completed by 2029.
The Air Force operates a fleet of 76 B-52s, which have been in operation since 1976. The bomber was designed to carry nuclear and conventional weapons, but in 2015, the service modified 30 aircraft to a conventional-only status under New START.