?“Major powers have not fought each other in over 70 years,” said Lt. Gen. Jack Weinstein Tuesday at ASC16, and “the nation’s nuclear capability is the primary factor in this refrain from massive conflict.” But Weinstein, Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategic Deterrence and Nuclear Integration, warned that this “strategic stability” is now under threat. While the United States has not modernized its nuclear assets since the 1980s, “other nations have not paused,” Weinstein said. In order to retain “an asymmetric advantage for the United States” and its allies, Weinstein insisted on a long list of modernization priorities. He said the US needs “a new strategic bomber,” “a replacement for the Ohio class SSBN,” “a new long-range standoff weapon,” “a new gravity bomb,” and “a replacement for Minuteman.” These capabilities, Weinstein said, would add up to “a survivable deterrent to ensure that the US cannot be coerced” by potential adversaries.
The Pentagon announced new long-term agreements with four defense companies May 13 to develop and produce large numbers of low-cost cruise missiles. And while the effort will focus mostly on the Army to start, it pairs with Air Force efforts to find more affordable munitions.