US Navy developing new sea-launched nuclear missile

The United States Navy has begun developing a new sea-launched nuclear missile to compete with China, despite pushback from the Biden administration.

The Pentagon’s nuclear agency issued a notice on Friday announcing its intention to pay an American defence contractor to begin research and development work on the weapon.

Once complete, in the mid-2030s, the cruise missile will be the first of its kind to be operated by the United States since the Cold War.

It is designed to compete with the nuclear weapons programes of Russia and China, which have both been developing mid-range atomic weapons that could be deployed on the battlefield.