US, WASHINGTON (ORDO NEWS) — A possible reduction against the backdrop of the economic downturn in the defense budget will not affect the modernization of the US nuclear arsenal , Pentagon chief Mark Esper told reporters on Tuesday.
“We will not risk an arsenal of strategic deterrence, we must necessarily modernize it,” he said.
According to him, he himself is inclined to not reduce any modernization programs.
“This is important given the trajectory of China and where, perhaps, Russia will move in the next years,” he added.
According to him, the Pentagon understands that the funds allocated to support the economy under the conditions of coronavirus in the amount of three trillion dollars create an additional debt burden on the budget and the economy as a whole. Esper assured that the defense department took this into account when planning their requests.
US President Donald Trump has ordered the modernization of US nuclear capabilities.
In this regard, for the first time in several decades, the country resumes production of plutonium cores for warheads. Earlier, the United States ceased to disclose information on the number of nuclear warheads they have on combat alert and at warehouses, the latest data refer to 2017.
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