Commentary There is justified concern that as part of its upcoming Nuclear Posture Review (NPR), which assesses the nuclear deterrent requirements of the United States, the Biden administration will cancel the Trump administration’s 2018 NPR decision to revive production of the nuclear-armed, sea-launched cruise missile (SLCM-N). Russia’s repeated use of nuclear coercion during its faltering invasion of Ukraine, and China’s consideration of military and economic support to Russia, underscore the military nature of their alliance. In this context it would be a colossal mistake for President Joe Biden to cancel the U.S. SLCM-N deterrent. Such a decision would remove access by U.S. forces to a much-needed theater-based tactical nuclear weapon, further weakening the U.S.-extended nuclear deterrent. U.S. allies depend on that deterrent as part of a bargain made long ago in exchange for agreeing not to produce their own nuclear weapons. The Biden administration’s use of economic threats failed to …
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