Dear friends: This year, we learned that the U.S. effort to replace its intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) program was an astonishing 81% over budget and years behind schedule. In an April 2023 interview, Daniel Ellsberg described the profound danger of keeping the ICBM force: “For over half a century, the existence on both sides of vulnerable land-based ICBMs has been the hair trigger to the Doomsday Machine. They pose a use-it-or-lose-it mentality which encourages each side to launch its missiles on ambiguous warning, lest they be destroyed—in order to attack the ICBMs of the other side. The elimination of just one of these pairs of ICBMs would significantly reduce the chance of all-out nuclear war taking place, even in the event of a small nuclear exchange. The warheads in the submarines are far more than enough, even without any ICBMs.” Despite all this, the U.S. Secretary of Defense has certified, through a “comprehensive, unbiased review” not shared with the public, that the program will proceed, and that the country believes it is still an essential element of its security. Even as it threatens the security of everyone on earth, the ICBM remains good business for its main contractor, Northrop Grumman, and the larger network of contractors and lobbyists pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into Congress in the effort to keep the program afloat. It’s going to take a movement to get rid of this imminent threat to our safety. Over the coming months and years, we’re looking forward to working with you to expand our campaign against the ICBM. So what can we do today? Extensive information and action opportunities are waiting for you on the “Understanding ICBMs” webpage of the Defuse Nuclear War site. If you’re near southern California, you can get involved in an upcoming protest of an ICBM test launch at Vandenberg Space Force Base. Reply to this email if you want to get involved. And if you’re not in the area, but still want to support, let us know! And, CNN recently published an uncritically supportive report on the ICBM “modernization” program. If you’re interested in writing an op-ed or letter to the editor (or even a social media post), this is a great moment to push back against this kind of irresponsible coverage. On September 5th, at 3:00pm EST, the Union of Concerned Scientists is hosting a Global Security Talk webinar on intercontinental ballistic missiles and the Sentinel program to bring members and supporters up to speed on the current state of U.S. ICBMs and the Sentinel program. Speakers include Laura Grego, Senior Scientist and Research Director for the Global Security Program at UCS; Ella Weber, a student at Princeton University; and a staff member from Representative Garamendi’s office. We’ll be sharing more opportunities for actions you can take against ICBMs. It will likely take years, but together, we are building a movement strong enough to overcome this existential threat. In solidarity, Emma Claire
for the Defuse Nuclear War team | 
