A panicked case for nuclear weapons modernization

A little-noticed bipartisan report released last month calls for the United States to take part in a new nuclear arms race. The unceremonious debut of the Final Report of the Congressional Commission on the Strategic Posture of the United States flew largely under the radar of a foreign policy commentariat presently encaptivated by Hamas’ attacks on Israel and the conflict that has erupted in Gaza.

The report was, however, noticed by a slew of nuclear experts who were dismayed by its hawkish contents. Naturally, they took to X (formally Twitter) to scorch it. Hans Kristensen at the Federation of American Scientists argued the report “reads more like a nuclear industry pitch than a Congressional study.” Carnegie’s Ankit Panda said it was “all too predictable.” Nuclear analyst Pavel Podvig simply called it “garbage.”

Yet, the report’s relevance goes well beyond niche online policy discourses — and its recommendations for the future of America’s nuclear forces are as disturbing as its title is antiseptic. Simply put, it says the United States needs to develop more nuclear forces, and faster.

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