1st Class Amanda R. Gray/Navy)A leaked draft of the Pentagon’s forthcoming nuclear weapons review shows that senior defense officials are keen to not only modernize the aging U.S. arsenal, but also add new ways to wage nuclear war as Russia, China and other adversaries bolster their own arsenals. The Pentagon’s thesis: If an adversary has an arsenal of nuclear weapons that are not controlled by existing treaties, the United States should have one to match and retaliate if necessary. The Pentagon alleges in the draft that Russia thinks that launching a limited nuclear strike first may offer an advantage, in part because it has a variety of small nuclear weapons at its disposal. Broadly, however, she said some nuclear analysts have said adding new ways to deliver nuclear weapons could launch a new arms race. “It’s just that the United States is not racing.

Source: Washington Post January 13, 2018 17:07 UTC