Biden aide raises possible increased deployments of U.S. strategic nuclear weapons

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Reuters

June 8, 2024 8:32 AM EDT Updated 9 hours ago


WASHINGTON, June 7 (Reuters) - The United States may have to deploy more strategic nuclear weapons in coming years to deter growing threats from Russia, China and other adversaries, a senior White House aide said on Friday.

Pranay Vaddi, the top National Security Council arms control official, made his comments in a speech on "a more competitive approach" to arms control that outlined a policy shift aimed at pressing Moscow and Beijing to reverse rejections of U.S. calls for arsenal limitation talks.

"Absent a change in adversary arsenals, we may reach a point in the coming years where an increase from current deployed numbers is required. We need to be fully prepared to execute if the president makes that decision," he told the Arms Control Association. "If that day comes, it will result in a determination that more nuclear weapons are required to deter our adversaries and protect the American people and our allies and partners."

The U.S. currently observes a limit of 1,550 deployed strategic nuclear warheads set in the 2010 New START treaty with Russia even though Moscow "suspended" its participation last year over U.S. support for Ukraine, a move Washington called "legally invalid." Vaddi spoke a year after National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told the same group there was no need to increase U.S. strategic nuclear arms deployments to counter the arsenals of Russia and China, to which he offered talks "without preconditions."

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/biden-aide-raises-possible-increased-deployments-us-strategic-nuclear-weapons-2024-06-07/

[LudwigPastorius]

1. Putin will not intimidate Joe.

[Shipwack]

2. I used to be part of the crew of missile submarines...

... but even I can't see the justification for increasing our nuclear arsenal. Exactly how many times over do you need to destroy the world?

{sigh} Maybe they're not really considering it, and it's just another move in the 3D chess game the world powers play.

Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed. - Dwight D. Eisenhower

[Roy Rolling]

3. I don't say this lightly...

Thank you for your service. You and Jimmy Carter. I get claustrophobic just thinking about serving on a submarine (I’ve visited decommissioned subs).

But your quote from Eisenhower is my favorite of all time. I believe it with every atom of my being.

[paleotn]

7. After a patrol, you lose depth perception.

For 3 months, the furthest things are just ~20 feet away, so your depth perception gets shot. Awhile back, the Brits at their naval base in Faslane noticed spikes in traffic accidents that fit neatly with British submarines coming back from deployment. Be careful out there, guys, until you get reuse to life on the beach.

[BumRushDaShow]

4. "just another move in the 3D chess game the world powers play."

IMHO it's just "saber rattling".

[paleotn]

6. Not necessarily an increase in warheads. An Increase in forward deployment.

Ramped up nuke sharing with NATO allies and more forward deployment in the Pacific of air delivered systems. The most important leg, SLBMs, will take time, but an effort to accelerate Columbia class boats may be in the works. First boat in the class, DC, isn't slated for completion until 2030. Keep the Ohio's around a bit longer instead of decommissioning one per year as the Columbia's come on line. Then there's an increased emphasis on modernization. Our nuclear arsenal is showing its age. Not much of a deterrent if the other side thinks they might not work. Sucks but that's the world we live in right now. We're just keeping up with the Joneses.

BTW...Fast attack guy from back in the early 80's.

[Shipwack]

8. Thank you for the insights!

This will teach me to read/post when tired...

Eh, let's be honest, probably not!

Your points all make sense. Especially the distinction between increasing the size of our arsenal and "forward deployment".

I still feel we should'nt increase the size of our arsenal. I do support testing frequent enough to show both ourselves and the world that it all works so it can be an effective deterrent.

[DemocraticPatriot]

5. 1,550 American strategic nuclear weapons are more then enough to ensure

the deaths of most people on the planet through nuclear winter and starvation....

Probably would only take a couple hundred to ensure that result.