The Pentagon's top weapons buyer has approved advanced development for a fleet of 12 new nuclear-armed submarines, a potential $128 billion project that the U.S. Navy calls its top priority.
Frank Kendall, the undersecretary for acquisition, signed the decision memo that officially moves the program forward late Wednesday. Shortly before acting, Kendall, who's departing when President Barack Obama steps down on Jan. 20, said in an interview, "I'm hoping to have it done before I leave."
The new Columbia-class submarine is part of a trillion-dollar program to modernize the U.S.'s sea-air-land nuclear triad over the next 30 years, including maintenance and support. Obama has backed the effort, to the chagrin of some arms control advocates, and President-elect Donald Trump has seemed to signal his support. "The United States must greatly strengthen and expand its nuclear capability until such time as the world comes to its senses regarding nukes," Trump wrote in a Twitter posting.