Daily Management Review

US is Preparing New Testing of 'Smart' Nuke


01/12/2016


The US military is preparing testing of new nuclear weapons, equipped with modern control systems and programming. The main objective of the tests is to create charges at the power that would be more precise to hit a given target, including underground, thus causing less damage to the surrounding. However, large-scale rearmament program is already causing controversy in the United States.



According to The New York Times, the US military is ready to continue testing and development of new kinds of nuclear small capacity weapons, which passed the first test in the past year. While, according to media reports, the DPRK is aimed at creating more powerful nuclear weapons, the US military is going the other way: they want to get a less powerful, but more "intelligent" nuclear device that can be programmed depending on task and target location. The publication reports that last year’s testing of modifications to B61-12 thermonuclear bomb of B61 US Army is only the initial phase of a number of tests of five new types of warheads. Development of new versions of nuclear weapons is part of a more general program of modernization of the US nuclear industry, which could cost $ 1 trillion and will be held for thirty years.

Tests of a new type of short-range nuclear weapons, which is equipped with the power charge of programming, improved positioning system and geolocation, and control systems tail, has caused a negative reaction from China and Russia. In the USA itself also sounded doubt that such large-scale nuclear weapons program is suitable. "It's too expensive and it is not necessary", - says Andrew Weber, a former assistant secretary of defense and former director of the Interagency Council on nuclear weapons. Mr. Weber, in particular, mentioned a program to develop a new generation of cruise missiles with nuclear warheads, which plans to spend up to $ 30 billion. "The president has the opportunity to start work on the prohibition of nuclear cruise missiles on a global level. It is very important to minimize risk of conflict with the use of nuclear weapons ", - the expert said in an interview with NY Times. Some former members of Obama’s administration agree with him. Ellen Tauscher, in 2009-2012 occupied the post of assistant secretary of state for arms and international security, said that many of her colleagues started to work with expectations of a speedy reduction in the arsenal, but now they are disappointed. "We spend billions of dollars on maintaining the status quo, which does not make us safer," - says the former employee of the administration.