New tactical nukes in US arsenal raise risks

WASHINGTON: The Pentagon is set to unveil President Donald Trump’s nuclear policy next week, and critics are already warning it could trigger another arms race and raise the risk of miscalculations that might spark an atomic conflict, reports AFP. A leaked draft version of the Nuclear Posture Review indicates the Pentagon is calling for the development of a new type of low-yield nuclear bomb that is designed to be used on the battlefield, rather than to level a city.

These so-called tactical nuclear weapons have a limited explosive strength—though still are staggeringly powerful compared to conventional weapons. Underpinning the Trump nuclear doctrine is the concern that America’s nukes are so powerful that adversaries don’t believe they would ever be used.

The draft policy says Russia’s own low-yield nukes, within easy striking distance of Europe, provide “a coercive advantage in crises and at lower levels of conflict.”

“Correcting this mistaken Russian perception is a strategic imperative,” the document states. Any weapon with an explosive blast of 20 kilotons or less is considered low-yield.

To put that in perspective, one kiloton is the same as 1,000 tons of TNT; the bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the end of World War II were about 15 and 20 kilotons respectively, so they would be considered low-yield today.

But America already has a massive nuclear arsenal at its disposal, including 150 B-61 nukes stored across multiple European countries that can be configured for low-yield options.

Hans Kristensen, director of the nuclear information project at the Federation of American Scientists, said US military strategy does not need a new type of weapon.

New tactical nukes in US arsenal raise risks

WASHINGTON: The Pentagon is set to unveil President Donald Trumps nuclear policy next week, and critics are already warning it could trigger another arms race and raise the risk of miscalculations that might spark an atomic conflict, reports AFP. A leaked draft version of the Nuclear Posture Review indicates the Pentagon is calling for the development of a new type of low-yield nuclear bomb that is designed to be used on the battlefield, rather than to level a city. These so-called tactical nuclear weapons have a limited explosive strengththough still are staggeringly powerful compared to conventional weapons. Underpinning the Trump nuclear doctrine is the concern that Americas nukes are so powerful that adversaries dont believe they would ever be used. The draft policy says Russias own low-yield nukes, within easy striking distance of Europe, provide a coercive advantage in crises and at lower levels of conflict. Correcting this mistaken Russian perception is a strategic imperative, the document states. Any weapon with an explosive blast of 20 kilotons or less is considered low-yield. To put that in perspective, one kiloton is the same as 1,000 tons of TNT; the bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki at the end of World War II were about 15 and 20 kilotons respectively, so they would be considered low-yield today. But America already has a massive nuclear arsenal at its disposal, including 150 B-61 nukes stored across multiple European countries that can be configured for low-yield options. Hans Kristensen, director of the nuclear information project at the Federation of American Scientists, said US military strategy does not need a new type of weapon.