Don’t Bank on the Bomb: Risky Returns
December 14, 2022
Nuclear weapon producers and their financiers
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The Russian invasion of Ukraine and the explicit threats to use nuclear weapons that followed have sparked global unrest and fears of nuclear escalation, unprecedented since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis.
In this context, the need to immediately prioritize the prevention of escalation and its potentially catastrophic humanitarian consequences should be self-evident. Yet, some states’ responses, including allowing nuclear exercises to proceed, have further contributed to already heightened tensions.
This report provides an overview of the investments in 24 companies heavily involved in the production of nuclear weapons. The biggest nuclear weapon profiteer remains Northrop Grumman, with at least $24.3 billion in outstanding contracts, not including the consortium and joint venture revenues. Aerojet Rocketdyne, BAE Systems, Boeing, Lockheed Martin and Raytheon Technologies also hold multi-billion-dollar contracts for nuclear weapon production and/or sustainment.
We also publish an Executive Summary with this report