In response to the Trump administration deploying new ‘low-yield’ nuclear warheads on its submarine-launched ballistic missiles, Russia has warned it would treat a U.S. ballistic missile strike using low-yield nuclear warheads as a nuclear attack and retaliate accordingly. “Any attack involving a U.S. submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM), regardless of its weapon specifications, would be perceived as a nuclear aggression,” said Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova in Defense One.
The U.S. State Department released a paper last week arguing that fitting the low-yield nuclear warheads to its SLBM’s would help counter new threats from Russia and China. The US has charged that Moscow was contemplating the use of smaller, tactical nuclear weapons, or massive conventional strikes, as a way of coercion in a limited conflict.
The report noted that the new ‘low-yield’ nuclear weapon, the W76-2, a modification of the existing Trident warhead currently being added to the US ballistic missile submarine fleet, “reduces the risk of nuclear war by reinforcing extended deterrence and assurance.” The W76-2 was ordered by President Trump’s Nuclear Posture Review (NPR) published in 2018.
The new warhead dramatically reduces its explosive power from 100 kilotons of TNT to about just five kilotons – which roughly equates to a third of the force of the bomb dropped on Hiroshima. Trump’s Nuclear Posture Review notes that “Russia’s non-strategic nuclear weapons modernization is increasing the total number of such weapons in its arsenal.”
Moscow is clearly miffed by the U.S. development of a counter to its own smaller nuclear weapons and is muddying the waters by threatening to escalate in a conflict.
“Those who want to speculate about the flexibility of the American nuclear potential should understand that according to the Russian military doctrine, such actions will be considered a foundation for retaliatory use of nuclear weapons by Russia,” said Zakharova, as reported by Defense One.
However, the new US posture under Trump has been implemented as a response to recent Russian military developments, nuclear modernization, and a slew of new weapons systems. As reported in The Guardian last year:
The Trump administration has argued the development of a low-yield weapon would make nuclear war less likely, by giving the USa more flexible deterrent. It would counter any enemy (particularly Russian) perception that the US would balk at using its own fearsome arsenal in response to a limited nuclear attack because its missiles were all in the hundreds of kilotons range and “too big to use,” because they would cause untold civilian casualties.
Low-yield weapons “help ensure that potential adversaries perceive no possible advantage in limited nuclear escalation, making nuclear employment less likely”, the 2018 nuclear posture review said.
Russia is now trying to re-frame the narrative of these strategic developments. We can expect more news of how the Trump administration is creating “a dangerous nuclear arms race” in the coming months, as Russia steps up its information warfare, and the Western media and “defense experts” parrot the Russian talking points. Meanwhile, the Trump administration continues to prioritize US national security in the era of great power contest.
Advertisement
Confirm You’re Registered to Vote for Trump [ACT NOW]
F russia and china
Had not heard of “low yield”. Don;t care if we have it. It sounds like the Russians ARE trying to influence the election after all. Either that are they have not been in the news lately and are wanting more air time
I am sure ABC will accommodate them.
If they mess with us, we will.
I do think we will be at war in the not to distant future.
Agreed,,,Civil war redux.
I AGREE with Cal! F russia and china, punto.
Hope Putin likes heat, because he is liable to have it jammed up his anus along with China.
Well then, we should launch one hundred high yield nukes against Russia and see what they have to comment then!
We don’t need nuclear weapons to destroy Russia or China. All we have to do is stop trading with and their corrupt governments will disappear.
Yes and with a PLEASEEEEEE & A SIR= MAY I HAVE SOME MORE.
Yep. Russia thought oil would fund their world domination agenda. Trump made the US oil independent. China STEALS everything. They invent nothing. Bring our manufacturing back and and cut off the money supply and China folds like a cheap suit.
nobody with any brains at all wants a nuclear war because there is noway that human kind will exist after one because we have to much power and we would exterminate the entire human race with the nuclear power each nation has once one is shot off the computer system would take over until every missle has been sent off on both sides and the other countrys that have them would set theres off this planet would be just a fire ball
Nuke the communist sonsabithes!!!!!!!!!!
The only good thing about Russia is theor vodka. The only good thing about China is noth’in…
The only good thing about Russia is their vodka. The only good thing about China is nothing…
I certainly hope that we lied and did not stop the development of neutron weapons like that bumbling **** up Carter promised. Lots of good factories to use after we solve China’s population problem for them.
This is not a “boom lowering.” It is a defensive response.
I would like to remind the Old Media and the click-bait New Media that re-starting the Cold War might be profitable for some, but overall it’s a lousy idea. Please hop off the bandwagon.
So we tell them that their use of a limited yield nuclear weapon will be construed by the USA as a nuclear attack and will result in the full scope of our unuiclear weapons. Russia has a smaller economy than Texas, and with oil at current prices they are striving to be relevant. They should be more concerned by a Chinese attempt to grab their oilfields.
The Russians and Chinese are masters in double talk. They have years of writing and inventing new ways to reshape the true debate with propaganda. Thank goodness that we have alternatives to the mass media which have been infiltrated by bad actors!!
As are lawyers, real estate peddlers, and politicians. Double talk, dual entendre speak to avoid unequivocal lying, evasive speak and bowing one’s head as if “no” while speaking “yes” are not traits limited to Russia and China.
Instead of a pi**ing match, maybe the two of us should just get over ourselves and start co-operating. We and they have a lot more in common than what we don’t. China is happy to use us against each other. After all why not? We chew at each other as the Chinese only grow in influence and power.
So let me get this straight it’s OK for Russia to come out and say they have hyper weapons and sonic weapons and every other kind of weapon to counter everything that we have. But we’re not allowed to counter with our weapons. Tough shit.Maybe Bill Clinton can go over to Russia and have another speech for 150,000.
Russia’s looking at this one-way .China’s looking at it and laughing at both of us.Whatever technology we and Russia have the Chinese will definitely steal it and use it against us. They could care less about Russia ,world dominance is what there after.