Hmm i have an idea of what to do with those unused warheads.

[neutrino78x]

Could those missiles not be re-classed as commercial carriers, and cleared off the weapons list ?

Well, the key is that the missile has to be modified so it doesn't look like a nuclear weapons launch to a satellite. That's why the Russians objected to the idea of just taking a Trident missile and putting a conventional warhead on it, and/or using the acceleration of gravity to turn a piece of metal into a "kinetic energy weapon". There would be no way to tell if it was a first strike, so the Russians would have little choice but to retaliate, thereby causing World War III and eliminating mankind. God help us all, in that situation.

CO: God help you if you're wrong.
XO: If I'm wrong, then we're at [nuclear] war. God help us all.

Moment of silence.

Wiki : Minotaur IV ( live launch tracking )

The Minotaur IV, also known as Peacekeeper SLV and OSP-2 PK is an American expendable launch system derived from the Peacekeeper missile. It is being developed by Orbital Sciences Corporation, and was scheduled to make its maiden flight in October 2009, with the SBSS satellite for the United States Air Force. Currently its maiden flight is scheduled to be a suborbital launch of a Hypersonic Test Vehicle HTV-2, scheduled for April 2010.

Yeah, it is derived from a Peacekeeper, but isn't a peacekeeper.

If by "re-class" you mean "modify it so it has different performance characteristics from an ICBM, and can't launch a nuclear weapon", then the answer is yes, that can be done. The boat would also have to be modified, so that she cannot launch a Trident missile.

I think the USN went with SSGN because it is still using the boat for a military purpose, while still removing the threat to mankind, by making the boat incapable of launching trident missiles.

btw, "I can neither confirm nor deny the presence of a nuclear warhead on the USS Florida at any time." That's all I can say about that question, in case anyone was wondering.

--Brian