Echoing Gates, Strategic Command Chief warns of danger if we don't build new generation nukes

[bigtree]

from WaPo: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/04/AR2008120403555_pf.html

Strategic Command Chief Urges Quick Nuclear Weapons Modernization

December 5, 2008; Page A09

The leader of the U.S. Strategic Command said yesterday that "time is not on our side" to modernize the nation's nuclear weapons stockpile, particularly as China and Russia upgrade their nuclear warheads and delivery systems.

"The path of inaction is a path leading toward nuclear disarmament. . . . The time to act is now," Air Force Gen. Kevin P. Chilton told an audience of government, military and civilian arms experts attending the Nuclear Deterrence Summit in Washington . . .

Chilton said he was concerned that Congress had effectively killed the Bush administration's Reliable Replacement Warhead program, which is designed to provide a modern, safer warhead with no new capabilities before the end of this decade. Expressing concern that the nation's Cold War stockpile is aging, Chilton said that "a reliable nuclear inventory supports nonproliferation goals."


Gates Wants New Generation of US Nuclear Weapons

28 October 2008

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates is calling for the development of a new generation of American nuclear weapons to deter aggression by a variety of potential adversaries, including rogue states and terrorists. VOA's Al Pessin reports from the Pentagon.

Secretary Gates says the United States is the only declared nuclear power that does not have a nuclear weapons modernization program and the ability to build new nuclear warheads. He says U.S. allies France and Britain have such programs, as do two countries which he says are not U.S. adversaries, but whose nuclear modernization efforts can not be ignored.

"China and Russia have embarked on ambitious paths to design and field new weapons. To be blunt, there is absolutely no way we can maintain a credible deterrent and reduce the number of weapons in our stockpile without either resorting to testing our stockpile or pursuing a modernization program," he said.

Gates warned that China is expanding its nuclear arsenal, increasing the number of short-, medium- and long-range missiles it has, and the types of systems it has to deliver them . . .

http://www.globalsecurity.org/wmd/library/news/usa/2008/usa-081028-voa01.htm


. . .just wonderful that I have to still deal with this fuck

[GreenPartyVoter]

1. Oh yay

[bigtree]

3. it's a race!

yeah

[RC]

2. We need a humane way to deal with the paranoid, reality challenged war mongers.

Lock them away for a life time of needed treatemnt. Give Peace A Chance For A change.

[bigtree]

5. you mean

we shouldn't just enable them, then?

[RC]

12. That would be a start.

People can be so stupid.
Hey, I recognize that name! Can't remember anything about him except he shook my hand once.. :::fills in little oval:::

[HillbillyBob]

14. strap their collective asses to some icbms and launch them to the Sun

[stillcool]

4. How many do you need?

seems like after the first 1,000 or so it becomes redundant...

Estimated Number of Nuclear Warheads
BBC website, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4504737.stm, May 2, 2005
Source: Arms Control Association 2004

Russia 8,500 (plus 11,000 stockpiled)
United States 7,000 (plus 3,000 stockpiled)
China 420
France 350
UK 200
Israel 75-200
India 45-95
Pakistan 30-50

http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Weapons/Nuclear_Warheads.html

[bigtree]

6. I need smaller, 'usable'

mini nukes . . . and I need to make sure the next generation of nuclear power plants I'm pushing for are modified to accommodate the next generation nukes. (actually, not me . . . those guys)

[stillcool]

9. ah well...if they're going to be small..

and cute, and only take out a village or something, I could go for that.

[katsy]

7. I'm stoopid. Edumacate me.

China owns us. The U.S. is broke.

Where is this cash for nukes going to come from? China? No? If not, who in their bloody mind would loan us money so we can further arm ourselves? The U.S. is, well... crazy.

Better yet... where will it be manufactured? China?



My problem is not with China. They are acting in their own best interest considering this bloody government is phucking insane.

[bigtree]

8. If we let the U.S. nuclear industry collapse it'll have a ripple effect

I smell a bailout . . .

[katsy]

16. Aha.

I didn't think of that.

[bananas]

10. "The path of inaction is a path leading toward nuclear disarmament"

Global nuclear disarmament would be great.

[bigtree]

11. stop making sense

you're talking old generation there

[sam sarrha]

13. we need nukes that dont create nuclear winter, nuclear war becomes more eminent the worse Climate

change gets.. our only hope against extinction is to reduce the earths population by about 70%

a time will come ,due to grassland depletion in the steps of china, the aquifers are not being replenished, the water is running off as it rains, washing soil into the yellow river. the river will fill with silt and flood every year, followed by drought and famine.

a point of cropland destruction, drought, 90% water loss will tip and famine will drive much of china elsewhere.. especially into India after they have decimated the land in between like locusts. India will nuke them, there will be too many to shoot. setting off a world war.. and damaging the climate even more..

even 50 current nukes will result in crop losses for years in an already overstressed and delicate climate crisis.

[Earth_First]

15. Im sorry but there is no nuclear proliferation under the Obama administration I voted for...

so someone is going to have to put an end to this shit right-fucking-now.

[bigtree]

17. was that a criticism?

. . . you'll have to sit on that until after the swearing in.