The 40-member Republican Senate body, along with Sen. Joe Lieberman (D/I-Conn.), last month wrote President Obama, reminding him that the START follow-on agreement must be accompanied by an articulate plan to modernize the US nuclear deterrent when it is submitted to the Senate for ratification. Linkage between the two is based on a provision in the Fiscal 2010 defense authorization act, they stated in the missive. The US and Russia are still finalizing the new arms control pact. “We don’t believe further reductions can be in the national security interest of the US in the absence of a significant program to modernize our nuclear deterrent,” wrote these Senators. Specifically, they want the Administration to fund projects to: extend the life of B61 and W76 nuclear weapons; field a modern warhead; enable stockpile surveillance; and replace nuclear facilities across the nation.
“Military history shows that the best defense is almost always a maneuvering offense supported by solid logistics. This was true for mechanized land warfare, air combat, and naval operations since World War II. It will also be true as the world veers closer to military conflict in space,” writes Aidan…