Analyzing the US Nuclear Deterrent Policy

Video Above: A Conversation with Peter Huessy, Senior Warrior Maven Nuclear Weapons Analyst

By Peter Huessy, President of Geo-Strategic Analysis, Potomac, Maryland and Warrior Maven, Nuclear Weapons, Senior Analyst 

The administration has sent to Congress the sixth nuclear posture review since the 1991 end of the “first” Cold War. While still classified, recent disclosures and the FY2023 budget submission give us a relatively clear idea of where the US nuclear deterrent policy and strategy is headed.

The news is both good and not so good.

US Nuclear Deterrent Policy

Most importantly to the administration is the requirement to get the United States back into the lead with respect to nuclear arms control deals (which may or may not be compatible with deterrent requirements.)

There are at least four aspects of this. First is to bring back the 1987 INF treaty; second is to secure a new Iran nuclear agreement known originally as the Joint Comprehensive Program of Action; third, extend and expand the New START treaty of 2010; and fourth, unilaterally cut US nuclear forces to 1000 or fewer warheads.

The Russians have serially violated the INF treaty and as such it became untenable to continue adhering to a treaty with only one participant—Washington. This fact is not readily apparent from the news coverage of the INF agreement because while the US did withdraw from the treaty, it was only because Moscow was violating the agreement with the illegal deployment of at least 100 INF range missiles.