WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The United States needs to take steps to upgrade its entire nuclear triad in the domains of air, sea and land, US Strategic Command (STRATCOM) commander Gen. John Hyten said in a congressional testimony on Tuesday.
"The primary focus of our deterrence modernization efforts must address the entire nuclear infrastructure," Hyten stated. "Nearly all elements of the nuclear triad operating beyond their designed service life."
The US nuclear triad consists of three components: strategic bombers, intercontinental ballistic missiles and ballistic missiles launched from submarines.
In March, Joint Chiefs of Staff Vice Chairman Gen. Paul Selva stated that the United States must modernize its nuclear triad in order to deter or respond to a nuclear attack of potential adversaries like Russia or China.
The US government seeks to modernize all three legs of the nuclear triad over the coming decades at an estimated cost of $1 trillion.
