Kathrine Frich
The proposed strategy will update the menu of nuclear responses given to the American president.
Military planners spend their days thinking about the absolute worst-case scenarios.
Behind closed doors, officials in Washington are quietly rewriting the ultimate playbook.
The old rules of global conflict, it seems, no longer apply to the modern world.
A massive shift
The United States is actively drafting a fresh nuclear weapons strategy. This new plan aims to prepare for a potential conflict involving major rivals like Russia or China, the Daily Express reported.
Defence Department policy chief Elbridge Colby is steering these plans. Five people familiar with the matter told NBC News that the strategy focuses heavily on shorter-range tactical weapons.
This marks a huge departure from guidelines the military has followed for decades. Colby is expected to visit the US Strategic Command in Nebraska on Wednesday to discuss these exact changes.
Giving the president options
The proposed strategy will update the menu of nuclear responses given to the American president during a major crisis.
Planners want to stop a standard, conventional war from spiralling into a nuclear catastrophe. By laying out clear steps, they hope to ensure hostile nations cannot exploit regional conflicts for their own gain.
This planning follows clear warnings from the Pentagon. Officials recently pointed out that the US now faces two major nuclear competitors at the exact same time.
Watching the universities
The government is also keeping a much closer eye on foreign academics. Last month, the Department of Defence officially flagged three prominent Chinese research universities.
Officials linked these schools to “problematic activity” that could threaten national security. A special watchlist now includes 130 different institutions spread across China, Russia, and Iran.
These security moves come amid growing concern over military cooperation between Moscow and Beijing.
Trading tech for parts
China regularly sends civilian components like engines and electronics over the border to Russia. Experts note these parts often end up inside drones used in the war against Ukraine.
In exchange, China is picking up valuable military knowledge. Beijing is receiving advanced training, intelligence, and military technology from Russia, according to a report in The Economist.
Allies of Ukraine believe this trade involves some incredibly serious hardware. They suspect Russia is actively helping China upgrade its air defence systems and build stealthier nuclear submarines.
Sources: Daily Express, NBC News, Pentagon, Department of Defence, The Economist
