The United States’ nuclear triad remains a ready and reliable deterrent, with all three legs demonstrating capability and undergoing modernization even as significant military resources deploy for Operation Epic Fury.
The sea, land and air components have each demonstrated their strength, signaling to adversaries that U.S. strategic capabilities remain lethal and capable.
The air leg of the triad has contributed to Epic Fury, underscoring its flexibility and global reach. U.S. Air Force B-52 Stratofortress bombers, for example, have delivered a range of conventional ordnance, according to an April 2026 report by Air & Space Forces Magazine. The long-range strategic warplanes, in service for more than 70 years, demonstrate a visible and flexible component of U.S. deterrence. The fleet continues to undergo updates with new technology that ensures its effectiveness for decades to come, with upgrades planned to keep it in service beyond 2050.
The director of the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program recently visited the Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine USS Kentucky at Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor in the state of Washington. The 14 Ohio-class submarines form the most survivable leg of the triad, with a portion of the fleet always on patrol and ready. The triad’s land-based component, the Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile force, confirmed the weapon’s reliability with a successful test launch in March 2026 from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California.
The unarmed missile, equipped with two test reentry vehicles, traveled to a target at the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands in the Pacific Ocean, validating the system’s accuracy and reliability. The Minuteman III, first deployed in 1970, is undergoing a comprehensive modernization program and eventually will be replaced by the LGM-35A Sentinel.
The consistent demonstration of capability across the nuclear triad reinforces U.S. strategic deterrence. These activities, coupled with a comprehensive modernization, show the U.S. can respond to any threat, anywhere and at any time while sustaining major operations such as Epic Fury for extended periods.