Washington, August 2 – The United States may consider increasing the number of its deployed nuclear warheads, but any decision on this matter would be made by the President, according to Vipin Narang, US Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy. Speaking at a Center for Strategic and International Studies event, Narang explained that an increase in the size or posture of current US deployed forces could become necessary if there were no significant changes in the nuclear trajectories of China, North Korea, and Russia.
There is no need to grow the stockpile yet, but adjustments to the number of deployed capabilities may be necessary IF our adversaries continue down their current paths,” Narang stated. He emphasized that “only the President can make that decision,” and this move would indicate that “he or she has concluded that such changes are needed to deter adversaries, defend the United States, and meet our commitments to our allies and partners.
Narang also addressed the issue of Washington’s approach to its competitors in terms of nuclear stockpiles. He pointed out that US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan has clarified that the United States does not need to match its adversaries warhead-for-warhead or surpass their “combined total forces” in order to deter them effectively. Instead, the focus is on ensuring that the US possesses only what is necessary to credibly deter adversaries and protect American citizens as well as their allies and partners.