US President Joe Biden approved a new secret nuclear strategy in March 2024. For the first time, it emphasizes the rapid expansion of China's nuclear arsenal.
Points of attention
- The new secret US nuclear strategy under Biden emphasizes the expansion of China's nuclear arsenal.
- The document also provides for preparations for possible nuclear conflicts with Russia, China and North Korea.
- The approved strategy is so secret that it is available only to a limited circle of national security officials and the Pentagon command.
- The expansion of North Korea's nuclear arsenal poses a serious challenge to the United States in the context of possible coordination of threats from Moscow and Beijing.
- The US and South Korea have begun large-scale military exercises aimed at preparing for North Korean threats, including missile strikes and cyber attacks.
What is known about the US nuclear strategy
The new strategy, known as Nuclear Employment Guidance, also involves preparing the US for possible coordinated nuclear conflicts with Russia, China and North Korea.
The document is so secret that there are only a few hard copies of it available to a limited circle of national security officials and the Pentagon command, the publication notes.
Although the White House has not officially announced the approval of this strategy, two senior administration officials have hinted at the changes that have taken place in recent speeches.
Thus, former MIT nuclear weapons strategist Vipin Narang, who previously worked at the Pentagon, noted that President Biden "recently issued updated guidance on the use of nuclear weapons, given the significant increase in the size and diversity of China's nuclear arsenal."
Changes in American nuclear strategy have also been prompted by the increased nuclear threat from North Korea, which has doubled its nuclear arsenal under Kim Jong-un, now numbering more than 60 nuclear weapons.
The expansion of this arsenal makes North Korea an increasingly serious challenge to the United States, given the possibility of coordinated threats from Moscow and Beijing.
The US and South Korea have started large-scale military exercises
As noted, the annual exercises take place against the background of rising tensions on the Korean Peninsula due to the intensification of North Korean armed demonstrations and joint maneuvers between the United States and South Korea.
The Ulchi Freedom Shield training, which will last 11 days, includes computer war games and more than 40 types of field training. The program focuses on preparing for North Korean threats, including missile strikes, GPS jamming and cyber attacks.
North Korea calls these maneuvers "provocative" and justifies its nuclear ambitions as necessary to maintain a "deterrent factor".
