U.S. Will Rely Less On Strategic Nuclear Weapons, Reduce Arsenal

By Merle D. Kellerhals, Jr.
Washington File Staff Writer

Washington -- The United States intends to rely less on strategic nuclear weapons and more on conventional, precision-guided arms and deployment of a missile defense shield in its sharply revised nuclear security posture, a Pentagon official says.

At a Pentagon briefing January 9, the assistant defense secretary for international security policy revealed unclassified portions of the Nuclear Posture Review (NPR), which outlines a post-Cold War concept of deterrence including a cut in the U.S. arsenal to 1,700-2,200 operationally deployed nuclear weapons over 10 years period from about 6,000 now in the inventory. The highly classified report had been sent to Congress for review January 8.

"We are trying to achieve these reductions without having to wait for Cold War arms-control treaties, and placing greater emphasis both on missile defense capabilities and also on the development of advanced conventional capabilities," said Assistant Secretary J.D. Crouch.

However, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld told news media the review "certainly does not recommend nuclear testing. Any indication of that would be incorrect." The review recommends continuing the self-imposed 1992 U.S. moratorium on nuclear weapons testing.

"The president is observing the moratorium and has said so," Rumsfeld said. "Any country that has nuclear weapons has to be respectful of the enormous lethality and power of those weapons, and has a responsibility to see that they are safe and reliable."

However, Crouch said the U.S. Energy Department is planning on accelerating its test-readiness program so that future underground nuclear testing can be accomplished, should it be needed. And Crouch also said the Bush administration continues to oppose ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty.

The plan to reduce the U.S. nuclear strategic arsenal to well below 6,000 warheads was previously proposed by President Bush and elaborated on during recent negotiations on the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty with Russian President Vladimir Putin in November. Putin also has pledged to reduce the Russian nuclear arsenal well below 6,000 warheads.

Bush announced December 13 that the United States was withdrawing from the ABM Treaty in six months in order to permit continued research, testing and eventual development of a limited missile defense system.

Crouch said the review calls for the approximately 4,000 excess nuclear warheads not to be destroyed, but rather placed in storage, where they can be retrieved and reactivated on short notice.

"There will be reductions as a result of our planning," he said.

The United States has already announced it will destroy 50 Peacekeeper intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) in an arrangement under the still-unratified START II treaty.

The NPR, chartered in October 1993, is designed to be a comprehensive review of U.S. strategic nuclear policies, doctrine, force structure, command and control, operations, supporting infrastructure, safety, security, and arms control. The congressionally mandated report also examines the selection of targets, stockpile levels, and new and potential threats to the United States and its allies and interests worldwide.

The U.S. strategic nuclear arsenal is composed of a triad of nuclear submarine-launched ICBMs, ground-launched ICBMS from dispersed missile silos and nuclear bombs delivered by a fleet of long-range bombers.

"We will continue to maintain a balanced nuclear force triad, but at a much smaller or reduced level," Crouch said.

The review is but one of three key reviews conducted by the Pentagon since the Bush administration took office January 20th. The other two studies were the Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR) and a review of quality-of-life issues for U.S. military personnel and their families.