The United States Department of Defense and U.S. Navy have issued a request for information (RFI) from industry to develop the nuclear-armed sea-launched cruise missile (SLCM-N).
“The Navy is developing and procuring a nuclear-armed SLCM-N capability that leverages mature technologies, existing capabilities, and new techniques and approaches to reduce development time and help ensure cost effectiveness,” according to the November 2024 RFI. The request seeks information on production interest and capabilities available for cruise missile prototype development, weapon system integration and cruise missile subsystems.
The RFI, which closed December 9, 2024, specifies the request is for “informational and planning purposes only” and there is no associated funding. “This announcement may or may not translate into an actual procurement(s) in future years,” the request reads.
The SLCM-N is a low-yield tactical missile that can be launched from surface ships and attack subs rather than traditional ballistic missile submarines. The weapon enhances deterrence against regional threats, including those from tactical nuclear weapons from the Chinese Communist Party and Russia.
The industrial base that would be most responsible for building the SLCM-N has atrophied and will be a challenge to build back, Navy Vice Adm. Johnny R. Wolfe Jr., director for U.S. Navy strategic systems programs, said in a May 2024 Senate Armed Services committee meeting.
“Significant investments are required to build back capacity to handle multiple concurrent nuclear modernization programs,” Wolfe said.
If approved, the SLCM-N system would deploy by 2034, with prototype tests anticipated within the next three years. The missiles will launch from Virginia class attack submarines and be centered around an “all up round” concept, in which the missile is fully assembled upon delivery to the launch site. The system includes an expendable booster, a nuclear-capable cruise missile and a launch canister, allowing underwater launches from Virginia Payload Tubes or Virginia Payload Modules, a hull section that enables ships to deliver a variety of capabilities.
Also, the Navy seeks missiles that are as modular as possible, incorporating both software and hardware, to ensure that modifications to the missile’s body or shared tactical systems don’t necessitate changes to the warhead payload interfaces or avionics related to the nuclear mission.
SLCM-N’s predecessor, the Tomahawk Land Attack Missile-Nuclear, retired from service in 2013, Interesting Engineering magazine reported. The 2018 Nuclear Posture Review advocated for the development of a new nuclear-armed, sea-launched cruise missile, now known as SLCM-N.
During a November 2024 conference of the Naval Submarine League, Wolfe acknowledged that timeline is aggressive, Breaking Defense magazine reported.
“This is truly a capability we have to build from the ground up,” he said. “How can I get other players in the game? How do we bring this in organically and stand up an entire new workforce and industrial base?”
Wolfe said the Navy had established a new program office dedicated to the project in early 2024 and has launched in-depth studies of the trade-offs required.
“We’re starting to understand, what is it going to take … to stand up an entirely new industrial base,” he said.