Strategic Forces Posture

Last week, April 21, the House Armed Services Committee Subcommittee on Strategic Forces held a hearing for “FY22 Strategic Forces Posture.”

This afternoon the Subcommittee on Strategic Forces will convene to receive testimony in advance of the FY22 budget request in the context of overall posture of United States Strategic Forces and the stand-up of Space Command.

Tune in at 4:00pm ET.https://t.co/WIUhb13ZY8

— House Armed Services (@HASCDemocrats) April 21, 2021

The House Armed Service Committee, the Subcommittee on Strategic Forces:

[H]as jurisdiction over Department of Defense and Department of Energy policy related to strategic deterrence, strategic stability, nuclear weapons, strategic and nuclear arms control, nonproliferation, nuclear safety, missile defense, and space; Department of Defense programs and accounts related to nuclear weapons, strategic missiles, nuclear command and control systems, Department of Defense intelligence space, space systems and services of the military departments, and intermediate and long-range missile defense systems; and Department of Energy national security programs and accounts.

Strategic Forces – House Armed Service Committee

Witnesses included:

Ms. Melissa Dalton 
Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense, Strategy, Plans and Capabilities
U.S. Department of Defense

Admiral Charles Richard 
Commander
United States Strategic Command

Gen James Dickinson 
Commander
United States Space Command attention was this statement from STRATCOM’s Admiral Charles Richard. [h/t to Ty]

One of the things that brought attention [h/t Ty] to the hearing was this statement by Admiral Richard:

When asked about huge difference between China & US nuke arsenals, STRATCOM’s Richard says: “The entire stockpile is not available to me” because of New START. Only 1,550 warheads are "available to me to conduct the mission.” https://t.co/FE6gOJ7RwI

👀 Unbelievable statement! pic.twitter.com/dozJIHgIiC

— Hans Kristensen (@nukestrat) April 21, 2021

As you listen to Admiral Richard’s opening statement it becomes a little more clear why he may say such an “unbelievable statement.”

…

Strategic deterrence enables every U.S. military operation around the world. Every operational plan and every other capability we possess rests on an assumption that strategic deterrence, and in particular nuclear deterrence, is holding.

If it fails nothing else in the department works as planned.

I submit, as a nation, until recently, we had not considered the implications of engaging in competition through crisis and possible direct armed conflict with a nuclear capable adversary in nearly three decades.

For the first time in our nation’s history we are about to face two nuclear capable strategic peer adversaries at the same time, both of whom must be deterred differently.

…

Admiral Richard’s opening remarks begin ~8:57 and end at ~14:05.

What I find as worrisome is knowing Republican Representative Mo Brooks is on this committee.