Hillary and 4 minute nuclear time5/19/2023 Launch on Warning/First-Use of Strategic Nuclear Forces Further dispersal of Russia’s 22,000 tactical nuclear weapons beyond the many dozens of depots already in use would represent a serious setback for operational safety as well as safeguards against theft. Those built before the early 1980s lack the safety locks known as permissive action links. Of all the types of weapons, tactical nuclear weapons unfortunately have the poorest safeguards. Such dispersal not only might lower the threshold for their intentional use during a crisis, but it also would compromise operational safety. Many of these tactical forces could wind up deployed along Russian borders, in Kaliningrad, and in Byelorus. This growing reliance on nuclear weapons might cause Russia to reverse course on tactical weapons consolidation, redeploying them on ships at sea, particularly on the Baltic and Black Sea Fleets, on tactical aircraft, and on a new short-range tactical missile now being tested. That puts Russia’s nuclear doctrine and strategy in the spotlight, where two disturbing strands are evident. We all know that Russia grew more dependent on nuclear weapons following the disintegration of its regular conventional army. Let me elaborate on a part of the thesis. government, but the assessment rests on a considerable body of evidence. This less than rosy assessment challenges the prevailing wisdom within the U.S. It is not at all unreasonable to anticipate a catastrophic failure of Russian nuclear command and control. ![]() ![]() Russia’s nuclear circuits are too overloaded to count on them not blowing sometime in the future. Growing reliance on intentional quick use in a crisis and growing susceptibility to unintentional use means that the nuclear situation is more unstable and perilous today than it was during the Cold War. This is a deadly combination fraught with risk. ![]() Second, Russian control over its nuclear arsenal is tottering on the brink of collapse, raising the specter of the accidental, illicit and inadvertent use, or the theft, of Russian nuclear weapons and fissile materials. Russian planners rely more than ever on these weapons, on their widespread dispersal, and on their first use in a crisis. First, Russian security policy continues to shift toward an exclusive emphasis on nuclear weapons. Two trends are especially prejudicial to our security. Certain developments in Russia pose increasing nuclear danger to the United States, and I appreciate the opportunity to draw Congressional and public attention to them. Chairman, it is an honor and great pleasure to appear before your subcommittee to testify on the nuclear situation in Russia.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |