President Trump on Friday called for the development of two new types of nuclear weapons, saying the U.S. arsenal needs to be more flexible “to address the wide array of threats in the 21st century.”
The administration’s nuclear posture review, the first in eight years, calls for a “lower-yield” option of nuclear device for ballistic and cruise missiles launched from submarines.
Defense Secretary James N. Mattis said the move is needed to respond to nuclear provocations from North Korea, as well as aggressive efforts by Russia and China to update their arsenals. He also noted there is uncertainty about Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
“We must look reality in the eye and see the world as it is, not as we wish it to be,” Mr. Mattis said in a summary of the report. He said of the new policy, “in no way does this approach lower the nuclear threshold.”
Sen. Dianne Feinstein, California Democrat, said the administration’s new plan is “deeply troubling and is a dangerous departure from past reviews.”
“It lowers the threshold for using nuclear weapons, a particularly frightening proposition given this president’s support for a nuclear arms race,” she said. “Previous administrations, both Republican and Democrat, have worked to reduce the threat of nuclear weapons, and this review breaks sharply from that bipartisan tradition.”
The president said the plan is “grounded in a realistic assessment of the global security environment, the need to deter the use of the most destructive weapons on earth, and our nation’s long-standing commitment to nuclear non-proliferation.”
“The strategy develops capabilities aimed at making use of nuclear weapons less likely,” Mr. Trump said. “It enhances deterrence of strategic attacks against our Nation, and our allies and partners, that may not come in the form of nuclear weapons. And, importantly, it reaffirms our commitment to arms control and nuclear non-proliferation, maintains the moratorium on nuclear testing, and commits to improving efforts to prevent, detect, and respond to nuclear terrorism.”
• Dave Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com.
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