Development of Burrowing Missile OKd

Defense Secretary Frank C. Carlucci has authorized development of nuclear-tipped missiles with warheads that can burrow into the earth before detonating, Pentagon officials said Monday.

Such “burrowing nukes” are needed if the United States is to hold at risk the underground command centers built by the Soviet Union under Moscow and other cities to protect its leaders, the officials said.

The new weapon, which is highly classified and the responsibility of the Air Force, is formally known as an earth penetrator. It has been under study for years.

The Energy Department disclosed in June, 1987, that it had begun preliminary development work on the warhead needed for a burrowing missile because it expected the Pentagon to request one.

Request Made Formally

A Defense Department spokeswoman and other Pentagon sources said the request now has been made formally. The Energy Department will be expected to step up its work on warhead design while the Air Force pursues missile development and integration work.

Spokeswoman Jan Bodyani said the Pentagon’s Defense Acquisition Board last month recommended approval “of the Air Force mission needs statement (for an earth penetrator), and Secretary Carlucci subsequently approved it.”

She said the final authorization was dated Aug. 19. But she said she could not discuss program details, such as financing and anticipated deployment schedules.

Carlucci’s approval of the development phase was reported initially by the Washington Times on Monday.

Interest in Bunkers

The Reagan Administration has recently begun spotlighting Soviet construction of underground bunkers, saying it appears that the Soviets are convinced that they can protect their leaders while waging a nuclear war.

The Pentagon sources said military scientists are convinced that a burrowing warhead would be far more effective against underground bunkers than other nuclear devices that explode on the surface, even if it does not pack the same explosive power.

Such a device would not have to penetrate more than a few feet before posing an increased threat to a bunker, but “it’s not easy” to develop a warhead that can withstand the shock of striking and burrowing through the ground, one official said.