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1/3 Noticed by others too: Billingslea was shown upload of Minuteman III ICBM from 1 to 3 warheads. An important reminder the US retains the ability to increase the number of deployed warheads. Here’s the situation:
2/3 The ICBMs normally are loaded with 1 warhead: either Mk12A/W78 or Mk21/W87. The missiles with W78 can be uploaded to 2 or 3 warheads. The missiles with the bigger W87 can only carry 1 warhead.
3/3 There are normally 400 warheads on the ICBM force with another 400 in storage for 800 warheads. The next ICBM (GBSD) will be capable of carrying 1-2 warheads each, for a maximum of 800 like now.

Here is our latest US Notebook: tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.108…
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Hans Kristensen
@nukestrat
Why are people who have been fighting arms control for decades suddenly so eager to advocate it?

This “thoughtful article” praised by Billingslea proposes to ban mobile ICBMs. That would eliminate 80% of Chinese and 60% of Russian ICBMs. US doesn’t have mobile ICBMs.

Oh, I see!
Don’t get me wrong, the article raises many important issues that a future treaty would have to consider. But in comparing START and New START verfication, the article skips over the W Bush administration’s 2002 Moscow Treaty, which did not have a verification regime.
The point that New START does not cover non-deployed warheads is of course relevant, but neither did START. In fact, it was under START that the US developed its “hedge” of what was later called the “responsive stockpile” of non-deployed warheads that could be uploaded.
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Hans Kristensen
@nukestrat
The Pentagon has published the Nuclear Matters Handbook 2020 acq.osd.mil/ncbdp/nm/nmhb/…

An extraordinary resource. Kudos for continuing this document! @DeptofDefense
@DeptofDefense Unlike previous versions, the 2020 Nuclear Matters Handbook is healy colored by Trump's Nuclear Posture Review. Among other things, the Handbook declares the era of "sustainment of Cold War legacy deterrent in the absence of underground nuclear testing” to be over.
@DeptofDefense Also significant changes in modernization programs for the United States compared with the 2018 Nuclear Posture Review.

Also curious omissions/additions to Russia and China.
Read 9 tweets
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Hans Kristensen
@nukestrat
US Denmark ambassador pressured Danish think tank to disinvite Trump critic Stanley Sloan @srs2_ from NATO 70 year celebration. buzzfeednews.com/article/miriam… Ambassador Carla Sands had no displomatic experience when Trump appointed her but she paid handsomely to his election campaign.
.@srs2_ : “I now am told it is a new policy: no speakers to be sponsored by the State Department if they have been critical of the President.”

Dumb decision by @StateDept but totally in line with authoritarian Trump: allegiance over qualifications.
And now the Danish Atlantic Council has announced it is canceling its NATO celebration conference altogether
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