WASHINGTON: The United States may increase the number of its deployed nuclear warheads, but this matter is for the president to decide, US A...
WASHINGTON: The United States may increase the number of its deployed nuclear warheads, but this matter is for the president to decide, US Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy Vipin Narang said.
According to the US official, "absent a change in the nuclear trajectories" of China, North Korea and Russia, "we may reach a point where a change in the size or posture of our current deployed forces is necessary."
"There is no need to grow the stockpile yet, but adjustments to the number of deployed capabilities may be necessary IF our adversaries continue down their current paths," he said at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (the think tank’s activities are recognized as undesirable in Russia).
Narang added that "only the President can make that decision," and this move would mean that "he or she has concluded that such changes are needed to deter adversaries, defend the United States, and meet our commitments to our allies and partners."
He also said, with reference to US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan that Washington does not need to numerically pace its competitors warhead-for-warhead or outnumber their "combined total forces" to deter them.
"In fact, just the opposite: we are committed to fielding only what is required to credibly deter adversaries and protect the American people and our allies and partners," Narang said.
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