Russia has the world’s most diverse nuclear arsenal – US general

Russia poses a serious challenge to America’s military dominance, Air Force General Anthony Cotton, who heads the US Strategic Command, said. Moscow already possesses a nuclear arsenal that exceeds Washington’s and is actively modernizing it, he told the US Senate’s Armed Forces Committee in a prepared statement.
Together with China, Russia is swiftly improving its position against the US and its allies “in multiple domains,” the general warned, adding that the pace of these changes is increasing and is now much faster than that seen “just a few years ago.”
He pointed to a recent statement from Russian President Vladimir Putin, who said in early February that the Russian strategic nuclear forces had been “almost completely modernized.” The naval component of the nation’s nuclear deterrence triad had been almost 100% upgraded, he said.
“Russia is currently in possession of the largest and most diverse nuclear arsenal of any nation,” Cotton said, specifically pointing to Moscow’s Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missiles and brand-new submarines, also capable of carrying nuclear weapons.
According to the US general, Moscow is also “expanding and modernizing its nuclear options” beyond the classic nuclear triad. In particular he drew senators’ attention to the Kinzhal and Tsirkon hypersonic missiles, both of which he claimed could carry nuclear payloads.
The US strategic forces are currently operating “in the face of challenges unlike anything America has ever encountered,” Cotton warned, adding that the combined potentials of Russia and China, together with North Korea’s and Iran’s nuclear ambitions, “add new layers of complexity to our strategic calculus.”
He urged senators to facilitate a rapid upgrade of the US’ own arsenal, adding that “it is absolutely critical we continue at speed, with the modernization of our nuclear triad.”

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