Originally published How Russia’s Tactical Nuclear Weapon Stockpile Compares to US’ on by https://globalsecurityreview.com/b-21-raiders-first-flight-what-we-learned/ at Global Security Review
How Russia’s Tactical Nuclear Weapon Stockpile Compares to US’
By: Ellie Cook for Newsweek
Russia’s extensive nuclear weapons drills, and its choice to deploy systems in Belarus, have dragged Moscow’s tactical nuclear stockpile back into the spotlight.
Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, the head of the British military, said earlier this month that “from Russia, we have seen wild threats of tactical nuclear use, large scale nuclear exercises and simulated attacks against NATO countries.” This is “all designed to coerce us from taking the action required to maintain stability,” Radakin said during an address in London. NATO countries are staring down the “dawn of a third nuclear age,” Radakin added, coming out of the previous era of disarmament pushes and counter-proliferation, which followed the initial burst of nuclear arms races in the depths of the Cold War.
Combined, Russia and the U.S. have control over roughly 90 percent of the world’s nuclear weapons. This includes strategic and non-strategic, or tactical, nuclear weapons. Unlike strategic weapons, tactical nuclear weapons are designed for use on the battlefield or in what is known as a specific theater. They have a smaller yield, and are designed to be used against different targets than strategic nuclear weapons, which are limited under the New START Treaty that is due to expire in 2026.
Originally published How Russia’s Tactical Nuclear Weapon Stockpile Compares to US’ on by https://globalsecurityreview.com/b-21-raiders-first-flight-what-we-learned/ at Global Security Review
Originally published Global Security Review
