by Mark Dykstra

Created on: October 01, 2008

The US Nuclear Deterrant post 9/11.

On June 12 2008 a Defence Department Task Force was appointed looking into the first phase of its work, addressing the current status of all US Nuclear forces and its current mission globally. The Phase I Report provided independent, professional advice on findings recommending improvements to the Air Forces and Navys sustainability and accountability of its nuclear weapons within our arsenal.

Such improvements are essential both to sustain public confidence in the safety and surety of our nuclear weaponry and to bolster clear international understanding in the continuing role and credibility of the U.S. nuclear deterrent. Compared to its role in the Cold War, the current nuclear mission is both different and more circumscribed. Nonetheless, it remains crucial. Other nations have substantial capabilities; some of which are growing. The number of nuclear states may be increasing, making the challenge of deterrence ever more complex. The United States provides a nuclear umbrella over roughly thirty allied countries in NATO, the Western Pacific, and the Antipodes. The U.S. deterrent thereby remains a principal barrier to proliferation for in its absence there is little question that others would seek to create their own nuclear capabilities. Consequently, the credibility of the U.S. deterrent remains essential in maintaining international stability.
It is understandable that the focus of the Air Force and Navy has been drawn to conflicts in the Gulf, the Balkans, and Afghanistan. Both inattention and conscious budget decisions have led to the atrophy of the Air Force's and US Navys nuclear mission. In saying that the balance must be restored. Though reduced in scope, the nuclear mission remains essential and a crucial key component to US foreign policy. The components of the nuclear mission must again become a coherent body of those who serve in it and be maintained.
Throughout the Cold War, our unique understanding of the power of nuclear weapons were largely accepted. With the end of the Cold War, and the sharply reduced likelihood of a nuclear exchange, awareness of the role and power of nuclear weapons has diminished. But their power and uniqueness endure and must again be clearly understood if they are to play their crucial role in nuclear deterrence.
Paradoxically, the goal for the nuclear deterrent is to be created but not to be exercised in combat. If it deters attacks on the U.S., its allies, and its interest, its mission

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