US ramps nuclear weapons production to Cold War levels as China pursues ‘unprecedented’ buildup
The U.S. is producing nuclear weapons at levels not seen since the Cold War, Energy Secretary Chris Wright told lawmakers Thursday, as officials warned of a rapidly expanding Chinese arsenal...
By Fox News · Fox News
The U.S. is producing nuclear weapons at levels not seen since the Cold War, Energy Secretary Chris Wright told lawmakers Thursday, as officials warned of a rapidly expanding Chinese arsenal and growing nuclear threats from Iran . "Today, NNSA is delivering more new nuclear weapons and plutonium pits than at any time since the Cold War," Wright said during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, describing what he called a broader U.S. "nuclear renaissance." The ramp-up comes as China undertakes what lawmakers described as an "unprecedented" expansion of its nuclear forces, raising concerns in Washington about a shifting global balance of power. Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss., warned that Beijing is moving beyond a minimum deterrence posture and building a far larger and more sophisticated nuclear arsenal under Chinese President Xi Jinping. CHINA DIRECTS LARGEST MILITARY BUILD-UP SINCE 1930S NAZI GERMANY, EXPERT WARNS, CITING PENTAGON REPORT "China's building a far larger and more sophisticated nuclear force," Wicker said, pointing to the rapid construction of hundreds of new missile silos, expanded mobile missile systems, ballistic missile submarines, and investments in long-range bombers. "All of these measures flow from and to a strategy designed to surpass the United States in the coming decade." Wicker said China’s nuclear buildup is unfolding alongside a broader push to translate economic strength into military advantage, including dominance in shipbuilding, critical minerals and key dual-use technologies. "Deterrence is expensive, but this is a competition we cannot afford to lose," he said. For decades, China maintained a relatively small "minimum deterrent" nuclear posture, but U.S. officials now say Beijing is building a larger and more survivable force across land, sea and air platforms. Pentagon estimates project China’s arsenal could exceed 1,000 operational nuclear warheads by 2030, up from more than 600 today. By co…