Air Force Gen. John E. Hyten, head of U.S. Strategic Command (STRATCOM), which primarily encompasses America’s nuclear triad (air, sea, land), says he’s growing concerned about the slowed pace of weapons modernization, especially as peer competitors like Russia and China continue to modernize their nuclear systems.
While current forces are sufficient to protect the country, Hyten said the systems are in dire need of modernization, and the Pentagon — and Congress — are not moving fast enough.
Gen. Hyten wants modernization of nuclear warheads. “My biggest concern is the ability to go fast enough,” he said, noting that the process is expected to take between 12 and 18 years.
Earlier this year, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) estimated that modernization of nuclear systems over a decade would cost in the neighborhood of $341 billion. The Pentagon is currently studying modernization under the Nuclear Posture Review.
