The Pentagon announced Monday it will begin a new review of its nuclear posture at the direction of President Trump, amid rising tensions on the Korean Peninsula over Pyongyang’s missile firings and potentially a sixth nuclear test. It also maintains a fleet of ballistic missile submarines as well as long range B-2 and B-52 bombers also capable of launching nuclear weapons. The Pentagon’s posture review comes two days after North Korea failed to launch a new type of ballistic missile, which exploded four seconds after launch. The KN-17 is a single-stage, liquid-fueled missile -- not the three-stage, solid-fuel missile that North Korea successfully tested back in February, which caused more concern among Pentagon officials. Aside from the rumblings out of North Korea, Russia recently deployed a ground-based, nuclear-capable cruise missile in violation of a decades-long arms treaty between Washington and Moscow, drawing condemnation from Capitol Hill lawmakers.

Source: Fox News April 17, 2017 20:48 UTC