NATO’s nuclear deterrence strategy has received high praise from Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy Vipin Narang, who discussed the alliance’s efforts during a virtual fireside chat hosted by the Center for a New American Security. Narang awarded NATO’s nuclear posture an “A-plus,” citing several key achievements.
He highlighted the deployment of the first nuclear-certified F-35A jets by the U.S. and the Netherlands and the ongoing replacement of legacy B-61 nuclear weapons with upgraded versions. Additionally, NATO has revitalized its nuclear consultations and planning processes, and the transition from the Minuteman III to the Sentinel ICBM is progressing, which Narang emphasized as critical to national security.
NATO’s conventional forces are superior to Russia’s, and with the U.S., the United Kingdom, and France all possessing nuclear weapons, the alliance’s deterrence capabilities are robust. The United States’ nuclear triad, consisting of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), ballistic missile submarines, and bomber aircraft, further enhances this strength, each leg bringing unique advantages.
Narang stressed the importance of NATO’s nuclear and conventional forces in deterring conflict, noting that in the event of a nuclear attack on NATO, sustaining both the conventional fight and a potential nuclear response simultaneously would be necessary. “We have to build all that resilience and redundancy into the conventional forces to be able to enable nuclear operations should it become necessary,” he said.
He also assured that any use of non-strategic nuclear weapons by Russia would unify the NATO alliance, resulting in severe consequences, as consistently stated by President Joe Biden. Narang pointed out that significant effort within NATO has gone into planning for such scenarios.
Addressing concerns beyond Europe, Narang expressed unease about the growing nuclear arsenals of North Korea and China and their lack of transparency and communication with the West. “Our outreach to China on strategic stability talks has been rebuffed,” he noted, underscoring the challenges in engaging with these nations on nuclear issues.–News Desk