Gen. Robert Kehler, the head of U.S. Strategic Command, acknowledged yesterday that Congressional belt-tightening is forcing the command to examine all facets of its deterrent mission, but he advocated for maintaining the modernization plan for the nation’s nuclear weapons complex and arsenal and maintaining the current triad of nuclear delivery vehicles. Speaking to reporters at a Defense Writers Group event, Kehler suggested that further reductions to the nation’s nuclear arsenal beyond the 1,550-warhead cap for strategic deployed nuclear weapons set by the New START Treaty with Russia last year could force a move to do away with one leg of the triad of ICBMs, bombers and submarine-launched missiles. He didn’t indicate a force size where that might be necessary. “There will be some very tough decisions to make here at certain levels and whether or not you can then sustain a leg of the triad without it becoming hollow so to speak,” Kehler said. “Can you have enough expertise, can you have enough sustainment horsepower behind it to really make it a viable leg. Those are all great questions, and those are questions we’re going to have to address.”
Regardless of the decisions about future reductions, Kehler said many of the modernization decisions facing the Pentagon and the National Nuclear Security Administration are necessary, like replacing the Ohio Class ballistic missile submarine, modernizing the aged facilities that make up the nation’s weapons complex, and refurbishing warheads. “I know there are some things that we are going to have to do, to include life extensions for the weapons, which is in my range of things a top concern,” Kehler said. He suggested that efforts to cut the Pentagon and NNSA budget be done carefully. “I think you can have a hollow nuclear force in the industrial complex that supports the weapons,” Kehler said. “I think you can have a hollow nuclear force in the force itself.”
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