Red alert, Russia: Pentagon arms Navy submarines with tactical nuclear weapons
 

Red alert, Russia: Pentagon arms Navy submarines with tactical nuclear weapons
By: Ben Wolfgang - The Washington Times - Saturday, February 8, 2020
Re: https://www.washingtontimes.com/news...ubmarines-tac/

The Pentagon on this week announced the deployment of its first new nuclear weapon in decades and in the process issued a clear warning to Moscow, a move critics say represents a return to Cold War-era brinkmanship that makes the prospect of a deadly nuclear miscalculation far more likely.

Navy officials confirmed the fielding of a new submarine-launched ballistic missile warhead that the Trump administration has cast as a central component in its strategy of deterrence. The Defense Department said the W76-2 low-yield weapon, outlined in the administration’s sweeping 2018 Nuclear Posture Review, proves that the U.S. is maintaining an undeniable nuclear edge over Russia and all other rivals.

Lawmakers had mixed reactions to the confirmation of the missile deployment, coupled with the public comments directed toward the Kremlin. They said putting any new nuclear weapons into the arsenal, even “low-yield” missiles, is a dangerous step that could send the wrong signal to adversaries.

Military officials countered that the deployment fills a distinct hole in the U.S. nuclear arsenal and improves deterrence by making it clear that the Pentagon has the capability to respond quickly in any nuclear showdown.

“In the 2018 Nuclear Posture Review, the department identified the requirement to ‘modify a small number of submarine-launched ballistic missile warheads’ to address the conclusion that potential adversaries, like Russia, believe that employment of low-yield nuclear weapons will give them an advantage over the United States and its allies and partners,” Undersecretary of Defense John C. Rood said in a statement.

“This supplemental capability strengthens deterrence and provides the United States a prompt, more survivable low-yield strategic weapon; supports our commitment to extended deterrence; and demonstrates to potential adversaries that there is no advantage to limited nuclear employment because the United States can credibly and decisively respond to any threat scenario.”

A Cold War-era agreement had long banned Moscow and Washington from having less-powerful “tactical” nuclear weapons on the theory that commanders would be far more tempted to use them in a crisis.

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Personal note: Are we surprised? Why China has got them on their subs and who in hell knows how many others?

Boats