,,iii #aafth ,,congress #ast ,session ,s4 ,,res4 #bd ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,january #ag1 #bjai ,mr4 ,hoeven 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,barrasso1 ,mr4 ,cramer1 ,mr4 ,daines1 ,mr4 ,enzi1 and ,mr4 ,tester7 submitted the following resolution2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,armed ,services ,,resolution ,supporting a robust and modern ,,icbm force to maximize the value of the nuclear triad of the ,united ,states4 ,whereas land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles 7in this preamble referred to as ,i,c,b,ms7 have been a critical part of the strategic deterrent of the ,united ,states for #f decades in conjunction with air and sea-based strategic delivery systems2 ,whereas ,president ,john ,f4 ,kennedy referred to the deployment of the first ,minuteman missile during the ,cuban ,missile ,crisis as his ace in the hole2 ,whereas the ,minuteman ,,iii missile entered service in #aigj and is still deployed in #bjai1 well beyond its originally intended service life2 ,whereas the ,,icbm force of the ,united ,states peaked at more than #a1bjj deployed missiles during the ,cold ,war2 ,whereas the ,,icbm force of the ,united ,states currently consists of approximately #djj ,minuteman ,,iii missiles deployed across #dej operational missile silos1 each carrying a single warhead2 ,whereas the ,russian ,federation currently deploys at least #cjj ,i,c,b,ms with multiple warheads loaded on each missile and has announced plans to replace its ,soviet-era systems with modernized ,i,c,b,ms2 ,whereas the ,people's ,republic of ,china currently deploys at least #ge ,i,c,b,ms and plans to grow its ,,icbm force through the deployment of modernized1 road-mobile ,i,c,b,ms that carry multiple warheads2 ,whereas the ,russian ,federation and the ,people's ,republic of ,china deploy nuclear weapons across a variety of platforms in addition to their ,,icbm forces2 ,whereas numerous countries possess or are seeking to develop nuclear weapons capabilities that pose challenges to the nuclear deterrence of the ,united ,states2 ,whereas the nuclear deterrent of the ,united ,states is comprised of a triad of delivery systems for nuclear weapons1 including submarine-launched ballistic missiles 7in this preamble referred to as ,s,l,b,ms71 air-delivered gravity bombs and cruise missiles1 and land-based ballistic missiles that provide interlocking and mutually reinforcing attributes that enhance strategic deterrence2 ,whereas weakening one leg of the triad limits the deterrent value of the other legs of the triad2 ,whereas1 in the nuclear deterrent of the ,united ,states1 ,i,c,b,ms provide commanders with the most prompt response capability1 ,s,l,b,ms provide stealth and survivability1 and aircraft armed with nuclear weapons provide flexibility2 ,whereas the ,,icbm force of the ,united ,states forces any would-be attacker to confront more than #djj discrete targets1 thus creating an effectively insurmountable targeting problem for a potential adversary2 ,whereas the size1 dispersal1 and global reach of the ,,icbm force of the ,united ,states ensures that no adversary can escalate a crisis beyond the ability of the ,united ,states to respond2 ,whereas a potential attacker would be forced to expend far more warheads to destroy the ,i,c,b,ms of the ,united ,states than the ,united ,states would lose in an attack1 because of the deployment of a single warhead on each ,,icbm of the ,united ,states2 ,whereas the ,,icbm force provides a persistent deterrent capability that reinforces strategic stability2 ,whereas ,i,c,b,ms are the cheapest delivery system for nuclear weapons for the ,united ,states to operate and maintain2 ,whereas ,united ,states ,strategic ,command has validated military requirements for the unique capabilities of ,i,c,b,ms2 ,whereas1 in a #bjad analysis of alternatives1 the ,air ,force concluded that replacing the ,minuteman ,,iii missile would provide upgraded capabilities at lower cost when compared with extending the service life of the ,minuteman ,,iii missile2 and ,whereas the ,minuteman ,,iii replacement program1 known as the ground-based strategic deterrent1 is expected to provide a land-based strategic deterrent capability for #e decades after the program enters service3 ,now1 therefore1 be it ,that the ,senate-- 7#a7 recognizes that land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles 7in this resolution referred to as ,i,c,b,ms7 have certain characteristics1 including responsiveness1 persistence1 and dispersal1 that enhance strategic stability and magnify the deterrent value of the air and sea-based legs of the nuclear triad of the ,united ,states2 7#b7 emphasizes the role that ,i,c,b,ms have played and continue to play in deterring attacks on the ,united ,states and its allies2 7#c7 observes that while arms control agreements have reduced the size of the ,,icbm force of the ,united ,states1 adversaries of the ,united ,states continue to enhance1 enlarge1 and modernize their ,,icbm forces2 7#d7 supports the modernization of the ,,icbm force of the ,united ,states through the ground-based strategic deterrent program2 7#e7 highlights that ,i,c,b,ms have the lowest operation1 maintenance1 and modernization costs of any part of the nuclear deterrent of the ,united ,states2 and 7#f7 opposes efforts to unilaterally reduce the size of the ,,icbm force of the ,united ,states or delay the implementation of the ground-based strategic deterrent program1 which would degrade the deterrent capabilities of a fully operational and modernized nuclear triad4