New US missile proposals cause old adversaries to stir
Russia and China appear to be worried that possible new US weapons really are aimed at them.
from the April 25, 2007 edition
Page 3 of 3
"We need to have an alternative to those nuclear weapons," said Gen. James Cartwright, head of the US Strategic Command, in March 29 Congressional testimony.
Proponents of arms control say the Chinese ASAT threat might be handled better via negotiation of a treaty to ban weapons in space. Daryl Kimball of the Arms Control Association and others point out that China has long advocated such a pact.
"We really need to come to terms with what the rules of the road are going to be, or we face a potentially destabilizing free-for-all," says Mr. Kimball.
Other experts think China's position on the ASAT ban has long aimed at banning any future US space-based weapons, while allowing ground-based ASATs such as their own.
Blinding US reconnaissance satellites is likely to be a crucial part of any Chinese military plan to seize Taiwan, says John Pike, director of GlobalSecurity.org.
"They can only win if they act quickly and we react slowly, and blinding us might get them an extra couple of days," says Pike.
Against this background, US officials are also asking Congress to fund development of the first new US nuclear warhead in years.
The Reliable Replacement Warhead is meant to be safer, more robust, and easier to manufacture than current models.
But the current arsenal is safe and reliable enough, say critics – and a new US warhead might send the wrong message to potential nuclear proliferators such as Iran and North Korea.
"If Congress gives a green light to this program in our current world environment ... I believe that this will be misunderstood by our allies, exploited by our adversaries, [and] complicate our work to prevent the spread and use of nuclear weapons," said former Sen. Sam Nunn (D) of Georgia, co-chairman of the Nuclear Threat Initiative, at a March 29 House hearing.
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