The Excerpt Inside the push to modernize the US nuclear arsenal
Jan 7, 2026
Davis Winkie, a defense reporter for USA TODAY who specializes in military and national security, sheds light on the U.S. nuclear arsenal. He explains the concept of the 'nuclear sponge' and the dire implications of an attack on missile silos. Discussion includes the high costs of the Sentinel program, projected delays, and the ongoing debate about land-based ICBMs. Winkie also addresses the risks of a new nuclear arms race with nations like Russia and China, while unveiling innovative fallout modeling techniques developed with expert Alex Wellerstein.
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What The Nuclear Sponge Means
- The "nuclear sponge" refers to remote U.S. missile silos that could absorb enemy strikes to protect cities.
- The term evokes sacrifice zones and frames land-based ICBMs as deliberate decoys in strategic planning.
Silo Attacks Produce Widespread Fallout
- Destroying hardened silos likely requires nuclear detonations that create widespread radioactive fallout.
- Fallout clouds could drift into populated and agricultural regions, spreading harm beyond impact zones.
Sentinel Costs Have More Than Doubled
- The Sentinel program was projected at $77.7 billion but ballooned to as much as $141 billion.
- Costs rose after planners discovered many Minuteman silos couldn't be reused and needed new construction across the Plains.
