An unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile test launch on May 1st, 2019. Click to see full-size image
Tactical nuclear weapons are needed by the United States to contain Russia and the United States does not plan to lower the threshold for its use, said the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Policy David Trachtenberg at a Congressional hearing, as reported by RIA Novosti.
“The reason why we decided to follow the path of low-power nuclear weapons is that we are looking at what the Russians are doing in particular, and this is of great concern,” Trachtenberg said.
According to him, the US was concerned with the so-called Russian doctrine of “escalation for de-escalation”, which provides for the limited use of nuclear weapons in a military conflict with the use of conventional weapons.
At present, there is a firm conviction in the political and expert circles of the United States that Moscow adheres to just such a doctrine.
At the same time, Russia’s official military doctrine implies the use of nuclear weapons only in cases when weapons of mass destruction were used against it or its allies, or when aggression with conventional weapons against Russia threatens the very existence of the country.
Currently the US is the only country that has a pre-emptive nuclear strike policy.
“We are trying to eliminate any miscalculation on the part of any adversary, which would be that they might think that they have some kind of advantage (over the US) That they can use, challenge us and take the next step, which we do not want them to do,” said a spokesman for the United States Department of Defense.
Trachtenberg added that the United States does not want to cause an “escalation of the highest level.”
“We do this not to lower our threshold for the use of nuclear weapons. But in order to raise the threshold in the minds of an adversary or a potential adversary,” the Pentagon representative said.
The development and deployment of low-power nuclear charges is provided for by the US nuclear doctrine adopted by President Donald Trump.
On May 1st, F.E. Warren AFB tested a Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. The missile was unarmed.
“The test demonstrates that the United States’ nuclear deterrent is modern, robust, flexible, ready and appropriately tailored to deter 21st-century threats and reassure our allies. Test launches are not a response or reaction to world events or regional tensions,” the US Air Force statement said.
“The test launch is the culmination of months of hard work and preparation that involve multiple partners,” said Col. Dave Kelley, 576th Flight Test Squadron commander. “I couldn’t be more impressed with the team that we partner with to successfully execute this mission. The men and women from the 90th MW, 576th FLTS, and the 30th Space Wing here at Vandenberg (AFB) made this look easy, but it was far from that. It’s a testament to the dedication and professionalism of these great organizations.”
F.E. Warren AFB is one of three missile bases with crew members standing alert 24 hours a day, year-round, overseeing the nation’s ICBM alert forces.
“Members of the 90th MW were selected for this task force based on their demonstrated commitment, dedication to the mission and proficiency in maintaining and operating the nation’s ICBM force,” said Maj. Travis Hilliard, Task Force commander. “I’m extremely proud of the team’s ability to prepare the ICBM for the test and monitor the sortie up until test execution. The tasks they have accomplished here have been done with the same level of precision and professionalism as they are every day back in the missile fields in Wyoming.”
Earlier, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said that the updated military nuclear strategy “reduces the threshold for the use of nuclear weapons,” as it “blurs the line between scenarios in which the use of nuclear weapons is possible and in which the use of nuclear weapons is impossible.”
On April 24th, Viktor Poznihir, First Deputy Chief of the Main Operations Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces, said that the US was developing low-power nuclear warheads for Tomahawk missiles, their creation can be regarded as the unwinding of a new arms race.
It should be reminded that the Aegis Ashore system, positioned in Romania among other countries, is an air defense system, but it can be repurposed to launch Tomahawk missiles.
These reported US claims, if true, are a result of the termination of the INF Treaty.
On April 30th, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu warned that the end of the INF meant that the arms race has once again been started.
“There is a return to the offensive arms race, the first step towards which was the US decision to withdraw from the INF,” Shoigu said at a meeting of defense ministers of the SCO states in Bishkek.
According to him, in the modern world, more and more reliance is being placed on the forceful resolution of contradictions, since “our Western colleagues cannot accept the fact that the era of unipolarity is irretrievably leaving and they are trying to contain this natural process.”
On the same day, former Soviet Union president Mikhail Gorbachev said that Russia and the United States need to establish a strategic dialogue, because nuclear deterrence does not protect the world, but puts it in danger.
“Today, the United States and Russia are at a dangerous crossroads. They should stop and think. Cold war veterans have already spoken. Now is the time to act for the leaders of our countries,” Gorbachev wrote in an article in The Wall Street Journal.
The former Soviet leader quoted former US Secretary of State George Schulz, former US Secretary of Defense William Perry and former US Senator Samuel Nunn, who said that “deterrence cannot protect the world from nuclear error or nuclear terrorism” in the absence of a sustainable and Washington meaningful dialogue.
“I agree with them about the urgent need for a strategic dialogue between the USA and Russia. I am also convinced that nuclear deterrence does not protect the world, but endangers it,” Gorbachev wrote.
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The US terrorists are on defeated position.
The US army are global terrorists have occupied whole world. Look they have not occupied your country.
No speak da English der dumbazz.
So they vow to deploy “new” systems by testing a outdated 1960’s era ICBM?….
Existing delivery systems deploying small yield warheads. As if a 10 ktn warhead will be overlooked in the overall tactical and strategic equation. The reality of the matter is that US is relying on means to threaten opponents by using indirect means of attack, since a direct military confrontation would lead to some serious embarrassments.
We’ll see how that works out when the Russians see a Minuteman III ‘tactical nuke’ heading for them.
US: But.. but… we TOLD you that they were all converted to small-yield tactical warheads. We just launched a couple of them to bake some disobedient Ukrainians in Donbass. It’s not like we just launched a massive pre-emptive nuclear strike on all of Russia. What’s the big deal?
Russia: Da… well, they all look alike to us. We reacted just like we said we would. Unfortunately for you, we just launched a massive retaliatory counter-strike at a few thousand strategic NATO targets in Europe and the US. Should you really be spending the your last few minutes on earth justifying your poor decision making to us? Don’t you have a family you would rather be telling ‘good bye’? Maybe not. I hear CNN is covering this BREAKING NEWS live. Why don’t you grab a cheeseburger and beer at watch them. This will be their last, oh, 90 seconds of broadcasting… ever.
If it doesnt cost so much, Russia should offer tactical nukes to AlQaeda on condition its only used against nato.
Thats how Soviets were pushed out of Afghanistan, so tactical nukes to AlQaeda is how nato can be pushed out of the Eastern Hemisphere.
Tactically nuking any ded prezident even in their graves would send a clear message about america and their ded prezidents.
Russia is a terrorist country so yes they may or have givin such weapons to there friends , they all have been givin AK47s from Russia .
Israel is a terrorist country, and Canada is one of their colonies
canada is hated by Iran and viewed as no different from americuck or zios.
Before you state something like this inform your self Can you please translate Al Qaeda… And see ho create this. Use you brain not you feets…no disrespect ..
america created its own worst nightmare, a Force that will never stop until nato and zionism is crushed. AlQaeda Taliban and HTS Muslim Brotherhood Hamas and Seyed Qutb(rh) are part of this Force.
Create by America CIA….Al-Qaeda (/ælˈkaɪdə, ˌælkɑːˈiːdə/; Arabic: القاعدة al-Qāʿidah, IPA: [ælqɑːʕɪdɐ], translation: “The Base”, “The Foundation” or “The Database”, alternatively spelled al-Qaida and al-Qa’ida) is a militant Sunni Islamist multi-national organization founded in 1988 by Osama bin Laden, Abdullah Azzam, and several other Arab … but has been created by CIA read the history
It also means The Rule, The Basis, The Foundation, The Principle, The Standard, The Precept, The Fundament, The Socle.
And Sheik Osama Bin Laden(rh) is known as americas worst nightmare.
AlQaeda has bankrupted americunt.
Dint Trump just waffle on about getting rid of nukes ?.
As for low-power nuclear warheads, forget it Russia, get more power in your and blast them to bits.
Russia will collapse before we need any nukes , It will be a bunch of lawless rouge states soon enough .
Haha ha I believe that you have no clue what Russia is capable of First of all it has the biggest army in the world, , please don’t tell me that America has it., second their army is not computerised as American army but this is in the advantage of Russia so no hacking,,,because is a conventional Army and America cannot stand a chance in the front of a conventional Army,.. in America when a army plane takes off 30 people check for stones the runway in Russia 1 person so it tell you how reliable are Russian Machinery take a example from Iraq Afghanistan and so on….think about that for a second, they lost almost all wars which they started In the end if a war war between USA AND AMERICA will ever happen everybody will dye… so better they calm down,,, in this war nobody’s a winner
You speak with Forked Tongue Tonto. Canada is collapsing and will LONG before Russia has any problems. Trudeau has sold out Canadians Just as Our LEFT/DEMS/RINOS in USA have sold us out. North America & Western Europe will be under Sharia Law unless the Russians save us. Wake up. Take a red Pill & stop drinking the Blue Kool Aid.
LOL, are you stuck in the 90s ??? Russia has NO Debt while NATO countries are $ trillions in the RED. USA is Over $21 Trillion in DEBT. Russia has been doing better since the sanctions. Their stock Market is booming. They are the World’s #1 exporter of Wheat & Grains, etc, etc. You need to do some serious research.
What we are seeing is not a new arms race: it is a race to re-arm, like in the 1930s. All the evidence points to another world war. https://www.ghostsofhistory.wordpress.com/
Russia must scrap New Start also as long as Israel, France, Germany, Britain,Canada and Australia is not destroying nuclear weapons Russia should not.USA is currently storing nuclear weapons in Japan, Germany, Italy South Korea, Guam Ukraine,Poland, Yogoslawia,Botswana Iraq,Afghanistan, Turkey, Jordan Saudi Arabia and Qatar base including Cyprus.
We cant allow Russia to pour gasoline all over the world and set the world on fire like Putin did in ME. Gobbling land masses, Crimea and penetrate into other areas of influence. This is not a democratic way to it, but this is what Russia was, is and always will be doing!
Putin is a man who only understand brute force and strength, and that is why US is arriving at the scene. The only democratic and free country on the planet, the United States of America, is the one and only nation who can do it with its winner mentality against losers and shethole countries.
Our swarm technique with tens of thousands of tactical nuclear Tomahawk missiles surrounding Russia´s borders ready to be fired at any minute, is the only message that will change Russia´s brutal aggressive hostile violent tyranosaurus rex “attack and invade America” behavior.
The American empire will collapse long before they can get these weapons built. The US started building the F35 in 1992, 14 years later(2006) they got one to fly, then another 9 years before they were being flown by the military.
23 years, a quarter of a century to build a plane?