Time To Deploy Low-Yield Nuclear Weapons at Sea
By Joe Varner
May 18, 2024
U.S. Navy
The U.S. needs to break out of its post-Cold War posture and move to a warfighting doctrine with forward deployed theatre level or tactical nuclear weapons on warships to deter China and others.
The last decade has seen China threaten its Indo-Pacific neighbors with violence and claims on their territory including U.S. allies South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and the Philippines. Many expect China to try and seize Taiwan by force of arms by 2027. Taiwan’s offshore front-line positions near the Chinese coast and the Pratas are under constant threat of attack and seizure. Beijing routinely pushes Japan on the Senkaku Islands and now has started with so-called ancient claims on Okinawa. The last few years have seen China force its way into the Philippines exclusive economic zone to try and seize territories it claims like Thitu inhabited by Philippine citizens.
Recent articles and reporting have focused on the threat posed to the U.S. and its allies by China and its growing military power. We have witnessed the more than doubling of China’s nuclear warheads, its large and diverse missile force, growth of the Chinese navy to 355 warships, and Beijing’s program to catch up to the U.S. on quality and quantity of fighter aircraft. The U.S. is concerned on several levels by the challenge posed by Chinese military forces in the Indo-Pacific, particularly their dual-capable cruise, ballistic and hypersonic missile forces, and Beijing’s more self-interested and aggressive intentions. China’s missile forces are deployed to threaten a devastating attack on U.S. and allied forces and bases in the region at the outset of any conflict, while Beijing’s strategic deterrent threatens U.S. cities in North America. The U.S. is increasingly faced with the decision to either fortify its forward deployed forces and bases to meet the Chinese challenge of missile attacks or move back to less vulnerable positions and leave American allies exposed to Beijing’s threats and bullying.
https://www.realcleardefense.com/articles/2024/05/18/time_to_deploy_low-yield_nuclear_weapons_at_sea_1032431.html
