Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, John Rood has said during a discussion on US Strategic Forces Posture and the Fiscal Year 2019 Budget Request in the Subcommittee on Strategic Forces that although Vladimir Putin's announcement of new Russian armaments was not surprising, it was still "disappointing."
“I think the statements made by Russian President Putin while not surprising were nonetheless disappointing. While we have been aware of the development of Russia’s capabilities […] it is nonetheless disappointing to see that the president of the Russian Federation chose to feature these capabilities in a way that he did,” John Rood said.
READ MORE: Putin: Russia May Use Nukes Only as a Response Strike
The under secretary reassured the subcommittee that the US still has a nuclear capability, as well as conventional armaments, capable of countering powers seeking to change "the world order and […] territorial borders."
However, General John Hyten, commander of the US Strategic Command, was a little less optimistic and warned House members that unless US strategic weaponry receives major modernization in 10-12 years "all the capabilities" that he operates "will be reaching end of life,” advocating for increased military spending in the 2019 budget.
READ MORE: 'Putin's Speech Was to Send a Clear Message to the US' – Scientist
Russian President Vladimir Putin revealed the latest achievements of the Russian military in terms of armaments during his annual address to the Federal Assembly, featuring an intercontinental nuclear-powered cruise missile, a nuclear-capable underwater drone and a hypersonic cruise missile. He stressed that the new pieces of weaponry are not intended to be used for offensive goals, but rather as deterrence. He also underlined that the development of such armaments does not violate any agreements signed by Russia.
