Strategic Shifts Require Reshaping the U.S. Nuclear Arsenal

U.S. Naval Institute ^ | October 2024 | Joseph Labrum

[Retain Mike]

The United States must recalibrate its nuclear deterrence posture and align the stockpile to address the realities of the current threat environment.

The current landscape, however, is characterized by rapidly evolving threats, which have reinstated the salience of nuclear weapons and deterrence, albeit in a more complex and multidimensional framework. In addition, the age of the U.S. stockpile has reached an all-time high; the average age of U.S. warheads is between 25 and 30 years old, and no new warhead designs have been introduced since the early 1990s.3 Further, all legs of the triad’s delivery systems are serving well past their design lives, and current modernization programs are over budget, over schedule, and based on wrong post–Cold War assumptions.4

Over the past 20 years, Russia has modernized its Soviet-era nuclear arsenal with modern tactical and strategic nuclear weapons. Of these weapons, only the strategic warheads were limited by the New START treaty, resulting in Russia stockpiling more than 2,000 tactical nuclear weapons.6 In 2017, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the introduction of air-launched ballistic missiles, hypersonic glide vehicles, new heavy intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) capable of being armed with ten independently targetable warheads, autonomous underwater vehicles, nuclear-powered cruise missiles, rail launched ICBMs, and hypersonic cruise missiles.7 Further, Russia has abandoned its no-first-use policy in favor of an escalate-to-deescalate posture.8 This policy change has proven more destabilizing, with direct threats from Russia that it “would not hesitate to use tactical nuclear weapons against NATO”.

While China’s nuclear arsenal is still much smaller than that of the United States, evidence points to China conducting a rapid buildup of forces. Brad Roberts told Congress in 2016 and 2017 that President Xi Jinping promised China would conduct “a great rise in strategic capabilities” and complete “breakthroughs . . . in strategic deterrence capability.”10

[Governor Dinwiddie]

Let's start by extracting ourselves from pointless wars and shutting down the Deep State Military Contractor Perpetual War Complex.

Peace out.

[BobL]

The Russians started the same 15 years ago and likely completed it 10 years ago, if the speed at which they expand the Moscow Metro (even in the middle of the Ukraine War) is indicative.

[McGruff]

Is that a politically correct way of saying we got caught with our pants down?

[Vermont Lt]

Russia focused on the wrong stuff.

They should have been making toilets and building indoor plumbing. Their people would be better off.

[DCBryan1]

Start testing. Our treaty with the USSR expired decades ago.

[Who is John Galt?]

[null and void]

if the speed at which they expand the Moscow Metro (even in the middle of the Ukraine War) is indicative.

You do know the Moscow Metro doubles as a blast and fallout shelter, don't you?

Civil Defense is pretty important if you're planning on surviving a nuclear war, and urgent if you're planning on starting one!

Don't worry, although unlike the Russians, we don't have a viable Civil Defense program, we do have FEMA!

[BobL]

“You do know the Moscow Metro doubles as a blast and fallout shelter, don’t you?”

Of course, as anyone can look up “Blast Doors in Moscow” and go to Images. I think those 3 foot doors will do better for many people in a nuclear blast than a government (defended here, by the way) that still doesn’t know what a woman is.

[null and void]

Is that a politically correct way of saying we got caught with our pants down?

More like: nekkid, tied face-down to the bedposts, and we can hear someone with a deep voice and heavy breathing coming up behind us.

[Seruzawa]

Here comes the MIC again.

[null and void]

Then you agree that Moscow is planning on surviving a nuclear war?

[BobL]

“Then you agree that Moscow is planning on surviving a nuclear war?”

Go check with them, they certainly thought that it was possible during the Cold War - and it seems that the Neocons are even more convinced of the same (or they wouldn’t be about to test Putin).

[Mark]

Let computers handle problems like the movie “War Games”.

[PghBaldy]

We may spend more, but per unit of currency, we probably have less to show for it.

[jdt1138]

How many cities does the USAF need to be able to obliterate?

[ProtectOurFreedom]

Absolutely!! Nothing a little "Queering nuclear weapons: How LGBTQ+ inclusion strengthens security and reshapes disarmament" won't fix.

[If You Want It Fixed - Fix It]

It has already been reshapened....8nto something not a man and not a woman, something perverted that cannot be trusted.

[SuperLuminal]

"... align the stockpile to address the realities of the current threat environment."

That, of course, means all those nasty, evil blue counties in the U.S. will soon become primary strategic targets...