A congressionally mandated commission has recommended the United States update and build out its nuclear posture to defend against Russia and China, according to the findings in their report.
The Congressional Commission on the Strategic Posture of the United States found that if the U.S. doesn’t adjust its strategic posture, “U.S. vital interests and international stability are at risk during the 2027-2035 period” due to having “two nuclear peer adversaries, each with ambitions to change the international status quo, by force, if necessary.”
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“The size and composition of the nuclear force must account for the possibility of combined aggression from Russia and China. U.S. strategy should no longer treat China’s nuclear forces as a ‘lesser included’ threat,” the report released on Thursday continued. “The United States needs a nuclear posture capable of simultaneously deterring both countries.”
Republican lawmakers described the report as a wake-up call and urged relevant parties to strengthen the U.S. military and its nuclear deterrent.
“The findings of this bipartisan report detail the gravity of the situation we face and emphasize that the current trajectory of the U.S. strategic forces are insufficient to deter the looming Chinese and Russian threat,” Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS), ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said. “The report is also a stark reminder of the significant work needed to expand our nuclear submarine industrial base to increase production and reduce repair time. The details of this report should serve as a wakeup call for our armed forces and the national security community as a whole.”
Rep. Mike Rogers (R-AL), the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, described the report’s findings as a “wakeup call for our strategic posture.”
“For the first time in history, the United States must deter two near-peer nuclear adversaries at the same time,” the Alabama Republican said. “The results of their report detailed the gravity of the situation we face and emphasized that the current trajectory of the U.S. nuclear deterrent is insufficient to deter the looming Chinese and Russian threat.”
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The National Defense Authorization Act from fiscal 2022 established the Congressional Commission on the Strategic Posture of the United States, and its task was to evaluate the U.S.’s long-term strategic posture. Madelyn Creedon, who most recently served as principal deputy administrator of the National Nuclear Security Administration from 2014 to 2017, and former U.S. Sen. Jon Kyl of Arizona lead the committee.
The Chinese have aggressively modernized and expanded their military in recent years and are now on pace to have as many as 1,500 nuclear warheads by 2035, national security adviser Jake Sullivan said earlier this year.
