Donald Trump demands massive batch of smaller ‘low yield’ nuclear warheads in £30.bn shake-up because his nukes are TOO DEADLY to use
The leaked plans call for 'significant investment' in lower-explosive warheads that could actually be used to combat the 'unprecedented threat' from North Korea, Russia and China.
DONALD Trump is demanding a new batch of smaller “low yield” nuclear warheads because his current nukes are too deadly to use, according to a leaked report.
The plans to develop lower-explosive warheads for US Trident missiles in a £30billion shake-up were revealed in a draft version of the 2018 Nuclear Posture Review (NPR).
It calls for “significant investment” in deterrence weapons that could actually be unleashed to combat the “unprecedented threat” from North Korea, Russia and China.
The new nuke policy, obtained by , makes the case for an arsenal of more usable “low yield” nukes that would make enemies think twice before attacking.
“Expanding flexible US nuclear options now, to include low-yield options, is important for the preservation and credible deterrence against regional aggression,” the report states.
“These supplements will enhance deterrents by denying potential adversaries any mistaken confidence that limited nuclear employment can provide a useful advantage over the US and its allies.
“It will raise the nuclear threshold and ensure that potential adversaries perceive no possible advantage in limited nuclear escalation, making nuclear employment less likely.”
It claims the expansion of America’s nuclear capabilities is not intended to enable “nuclear war fighting”.
The moves are seen as a deterrent to North Korea, Russia and China.
But arms control advocates have voiced concern at the plans, arguing it makes a nuclear war more likely.
Alexandra Bell, a former senior adviser at the State Department, said: “Making the case that we need more low-yield options is making the case that this president needs more nuclear capabilities at his disposal.
“We have 4,000 nuclear weapons in our active stockpile, which is more than enough to destroy the world many times over.”
Jon Wolfsthal, who was special assistant to Barack Obama on arms control, said the new nukes are intended to deter Russia from using tactical warheads in a conflict in Eastern Europe.
But he said the modified version of the Trident D5 submarine-launched missiles, with just the primary (fission) part of its thermonuclear warhead, was “totally unnecessary”.
This is because the US already has low-yield weapons, B61 gravity bombs and air-launched cruise missiles, in its arsenal.
The US already has 1,000 nuclear warheads in its arsenal with low-yield options, according to reports.
The review attempts to make the case for expanding the US arsenal and loosening constraints on the use of nuclear weapons by discussing the “unprecedented” threat.
It states that there is increased uncertainty and risk from a range of threats, including chemical, biological, nuclear, space and cyber threats.
“While the US has continued to reduce the number and salience of nuclear weapons, others, including Russia and China, have moved in the opposite direction.
“They have added new types of nuclear capabilities to their arsenals and engaged in increasingly aggressive behaviour, including in outer space and cyber space.
North Korea was branded the “most immediate and dire proliferation threat to international security and stability”.
The report raised fears that Kim Jong-un's hermit kingdom could be "months away" from striking the US with an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).
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It is thought that the changes to the US nuclear program could cost as much as $40.9 billion (£30billion).
This is based on the government figures which stated it would make up 6.4 per cent of the Department of Defence 2018 budget.
In May last year, Trump proposed a budget of $639.1 billion for defence.
The nuclear posture review (NPR), the first in eight years, is expected to be published after Trump’s State of the Union speech at the end of January.