Sentry Contributor
As global tensions escalate, the United States faces a complex and evolving geostrategic landscape, necessitating the modernization of its strategic nuclear forces, Gen. Anthony Cotton, Commander of U.S. Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM), said during a November 2024 fireside chat at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, D.C.
Gen. Cotton highlighted the critical role of nuclear deterrence and its supporting platforms, particularly Nuclear Command, Control, and Communications (NC3) systems, in maintaining U.S. strategic dominance and global stability. “Our posture must align with today’s reality, where nuclear weapons are foundational to adversaries’ strategies,” he said.
Contemporary threats are markedly different from those envisioned when nuclear modernization efforts began more than a decade ago, according to Gen. Cotton. Originally designed amid low-intensity conflicts such as the war on terror, these efforts now require significant adaptation to address the increasingly aggressive postures of near-peer competitors like the People’s Republic of China and Russia.
Russia’s evolving nuclear doctrine, which recently lowered Moscow’s threshold for nuclear use and targets NATO Allies more directly, exemplifies these shifting dynamics. Simultaneously, the Chinese Communist Party continues its rapid expansion of nuclear capabilities while resisting international calls for transparency.
The 2022 National Defense Strategy warned that concurrent threats across multiple theaters could test the U.S.’s ability to respond effectively. Amid these challenges, Gen. Cotton stressed the importance of readiness and adaptability in U.S. nuclear forces.
The Nuclear Posture Review, a key component of national defense planning, underscores the urgency of modernizing the nuclear triad — bombers, submarines and intercontinental ballistic missiles — as well as the systems that ensure their cohesion and reliability.
During the CSIS event, Gen. Cotton also addressed the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in enhancing decision-making capabilities within USSTRATCOM. He said that while AI can help process vast amounts of data more efficiently, the decision to use nuclear weapons will always remain a human one.
Gen. Cotton’s remarks come as the U.S. invests heavily in modernizing its nuclear triad. This includes the development of the B-21 Raider bomber, the Columbia-class submarine and the Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile.
The fireside chat at CSIS included a panel discussion with experts from government and industry, who echoed Gen. Cotton’s sentiments on the need for modernization. The panel highlighted the role of NC3 in ensuring the effectiveness of the nuclear triad.
In his closing remarks, Gen. Cotton reiterated the importance of maintaining a credible nuclear deterrent in the face of evolving threats.
“Our adversaries must know that our nuclear command and control and other capabilities that provide decision advantage are at the ready, 24/7, 365 and cannot be compromised or defeated,” he said.