A top general said the United States needs to continue the modernization and sustainment of nuclear weapon delivery systems, infrastructure and surveillance as part of maintaining a strong nuclear deterrent force.
“We fully support the continued modernization and sustainment of delivery systems, weapon life extension programs, stockpile surveillance activities, nuclear complex infrastructure recapitalization, naval reactor design activities and upgrades for nuclear command, control and communications capabilities,” U.S. Strategic Command (STRATCOM) chief Air Force Gen. Robert Kehler said recently at the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington.
Kehler also said he is “most concerned” with the potential for declining or inadequate investment in the nuclear enterprise itself, a diminishing investment that would result in the Defense Department’s inability to keep the nuclear deterrent force able and ready to do its job.
“Our weapons are aging and we face the continued erosion of the nuclear enterprise’s physical and intellectual capital,” Kehler said. “So, as I testified before the armed services committees this year, we must protect important investments for stockpile certification, warhead life extension and infrastructure recapitalization.
“These are investments central to the new defense strategy, and without them, maintaining the long-term credibility and viability of the nation’s nuclear deterrent will not be possible,” Kehler said.
During his speech, Kehler endorsed the use of the nuclear triad–sea, land and air-based nuclear weapon delivery methods–because the capability of an adversary to inflict “enormous” or catastrophic damage on the United States or its allies still exists. The Pentagon’s strategic review unveiled in January, which calls for a smaller nuclear force, has come under attack from congressional hawks who say it reduces the U.S.’ nuclear deterrent at a time when China and Russia are modernizing their arsenals.
“Capabilities still exist in the world to inflict enormous damage on us, or in extreme cases, to virtually destroy the U.S. or our allies over the course of a few hours,” Kehler said.
“I also think it is important that we offer the president, as long as he believes he needs this kind of capability, the ability to respond to a full range of scenarios, to include the very, very unlikely, but not zero, possibility in a future crisis of a very short notice attack of some kind,” Kehler said later.
While Kehler endorsed the current use of the triad, he said he would be open to future changes.
“At this point in time, the triad is the right force structure for us,” Kehler said. “I think you will see, of course, additional adjustments to that force structure as we implement New (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) and perhaps we will see further reductions as we go forward