The Global Nuclear Weapons Environment - Paperback

by Committee on Armed Services United State (Author)

What has changed in the world since the last Nuclear Posture Review in 2010? We know Russia has become increasingly aggressive toward the United States and our allies. We now have public reports of serious violations of the [Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces] INF Treaty, a landmark agreement signed by President Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev in 1987. Likewise, we have reports that North Korea is within reach of developing an [intercontinental ballistic missile] ICBM. Whether that missile can carry a nuclear warhead is still in debate, but we must prepare for the worst case. Meanwhile, China is developing a nuclear-armed submarine to patrol the Pacific, holding the United States at risk and impacting the stability of South and Southeast Asia. These are all troubling developments that have come to the fore since the 2010 [Nuclear Posture Review] NPR. Over the past several Congresses we have worked hard to keep the modernization of our nuclear deterrent bipartisan. This involves recapitalizing all three legs of our triad over the next 20 years and major life extension programs for our warheads. Our planned nuclear modernization is a long-term acquisition program, and we cannot lose sight of the fundamental importance of this ongoing effort as we move forward in this Congress. The young airmen in the ICBM fields and on our bombers, and sailors on deterrence patrol at sea, are counting on us to replace their aging systems.