Smartencyclopedia Staff & Agencies
Washington, D.C. – President Biden has reportedly made significant changes to the United States’ strategic nuclear plans, with a particular focus on countering China’s rapidly expanding nuclear arsenal and preparing for potential nuclear coordination among China, Russia, and North Korea. The changes were made in March, according to a report from The New York Times on Tuesday evening, but were not publicly announced.
The alterations to the highly classified “Nuclear Employment Guidance” reflect a shift in U.S. defense strategy to address the evolving global nuclear landscape. The document, which is updated approximately every four years, is so sensitive that no electronic copies exist. Only a limited number of hard copies have been distributed to select national security officials and Pentagon commanders.
According to The Times, Congress is expected to be informed of the changes in an unclassified format before President Biden’s term ends in January. While the details remain largely under wraps, two top officials have been permitted to refer to the changes in public statements, albeit in very limited terms.
“The president recently issued updated nuclear weapons employment guidance to account for multiple nuclear-armed adversaries,” said Vipin Narang, a nuclear strategist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who previously served in the Pentagon. Narang emphasized that the updated guidance specifically addresses “the significant increase in the size and diversity” of China’s nuclear arsenal.
Pranay Vaddi, the National Security Council’s senior director for arms control and nonproliferation, also referenced the updated strategy in June, noting that it underscores “the need to deter Russia, the PRC [People’s Republic of China], and North Korea simultaneously.”
The urgency behind the changes is driven by alarming developments in China’s nuclear capabilities. While Beijing has maintained a nuclear arsenal since the 1960s, it was historically minimal, lagging far behind those of the United States and Russia. However, recent reports indicate that China’s nuclear stockpile is rapidly expanding, with estimates suggesting it could grow from around 500 warheads today to as many as 1,500 by 2030.
U.S. military officials have expressed increasing concern about China’s nuclear ambitions. In February, Air Force Gen. Anthony Cotton, commander of U.S. Strategic Command, described the scale and speed of China’s nuclear buildup as “breathtaking,” citing the construction of more than 300 intercontinental ballistic missile silos in western China as a particularly alarming development.
The secretive nature of the recent changes to the U.S. nuclear strategy reflects the high stakes involved in navigating a world with multiple nuclear-armed adversaries. As tensions with China, Russia, and North Korea continue to simmer, the Biden administration’s revised strategy aims to bolster the United States’ deterrence capabilities in an increasingly complex global security environment.