Short of an economic collapse in Putin’s Russia, Russian strategic nuclear forces will continue to improve throughout the next decade and beyond. The current B-21 program, important as it is, will not offset the Russian advantage in nuclear hypersonic missiles. Russia is talking about using these missiles in a nuclear decapitation attack on the U.S. National Command Authority.[60] Russian heavy bombers would be able to implement such a strike at short notice while evading our early warning capability. There is clearly a need to both deter and defend against such attacks. The New START Treaty prevents none of this.

Dr. Mark B. Schneider is a Senior Analyst with the National Institute for Public Policy. Before his retirement from the Department of Defense Senior Executive Service, Dr. Schneider served in a number of senior positions within the Office of Secretary of Defense for Policy including Principal Director for Forces Policy, Principal Director for Strategic Defense, Space and Verification Policy, Director for Strategic Arms Control Policy and Representative of the Secretary of Defense to the Nuclear Arms Control Implementation Commissions.  He also served in the senior Foreign Service as a Member of the State Department Policy Planning Staff.

This article first appeared at Real Clear Defense.

Image: Reuters.