Thu Sep 19 07:27:35 UTC 2024: ## US Must Accelerate Nuclear Modernization Amid Growing Threat From Russia and China
**Washington, D.C.** – The United States is facing an unprecedented nuclear threat from both Russia and China, and must rapidly modernize its nuclear deterrent to maintain national security and fulfill its commitments to allies, according to top U.S. defense officials.
Speaking at the Air & Space Forces Association’s 2024 Air, Space & Cyber Conference, Air Force Undersecretary Melissa Dalton highlighted the growing nuclear arsenals of both Russia and China. China, in particular, has rapidly expanded its nuclear capabilities, possessing over 500 operational nuclear warheads and expected to exceed 1,000 in the coming years.
“We see Russia brandishing its nuclear weapons in the context of the Ukraine conflict and also possessing novel nuclear capabilities that are designed to challenge our escalation calculus,” Dalton said, underscoring the increasingly complex and dangerous global security environment.
Dalton emphasized that the U.S. must reverse years of underinvestment in its nuclear modernization program, a situation she described as a “bill that is way past due.” Since the end of the Cold War, the U.S. has focused on other security priorities, while both Russia and China have modernized their nuclear forces.
The U.S. is now actively engaged in a recapitalization of its nuclear triad, involving the development of new submarines (Columbia-class), bombers (B-21 Raider), and a new ground-based system (Sentinel) to replace the Minuteman III missiles.
Air Force Gen. Anthony Cotton, commander of U.S. Strategic Command, stressed that nuclear modernization is not just a Department of Defense priority, but a national imperative, as the security of the U.S. and its allies depends on a credible nuclear deterrent.
“Our allies and partners are counting on us more than ever,” Cotton said, emphasizing the global importance of the U.S. nuclear deterrent.
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