U.S. failing to modernize strategic nuclear forces as Russia, China do

Special to WorldTribune.com

Bill Gertz, Inside the Ring, Washington Times

The strength of America’s strategic nuclear forces is marginal, and weapons and infrastructure need greater funding and new policies for modernization, according to a report on U.S. military capabilities.

U.S. Nuclear Ballistic Missile Submarine.
U.S. Nuclear Ballistic Missile Submarine.

“The common theme across the services and the United States’ nuclear enterprise is one of force degradation resulting from many years of underinvestment, poor execution of modernization programs, and the negative effects of budget sequestration (i.e., cuts in funding) on readiness and capacity,” the report by The Heritage Foundation states. …
While U.S. nuclear forces are declining, Russia and China are building up their nuclear forces. … “China is adding more survivable road-mobile systems, enhancing its silo-based systems and developing a sea-based nuclear deterrent,” Gen. Stewart said. …

The administration promised to invest $85 billion for modernization prior to Senate ratification in 2010 of the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty. But because of defense cuts under the Budget Control Act and increased costs for nuclear infrastructure and bomb life-extension programs, “the [Obama] administration’s budget requests since 2010 have not reflected the commitment to fully fund key nuclear programs on the schedule that it specified to the Senate in November 2010,” the report states. Congress has gone along with the funding delays and some program cancellations.

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