https://www.airandspaceforces.com/daily-report/20241115/

Quote:

US Must Be Prepared to Expand Nuclear Weapons Force, Biden Officials Say

The Wall Street Journal. 

The U.S. needs to be prepared to expand its nuclear force to deter the growing threats from China, Russia, and North Korea, say senior Biden administration officials.

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https://www.wsj.com/politics/national-security/u-s-must-be-prepared-to-expand-nuclear-weapons-force-biden-officials-say-3f317fc9?st=tG8iPP&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink

Quote from Wall Street Journal, Michael R. Gordon 14 Nov 2024:

The U.S. needs to be prepared to expand its nuclear force to deter the growing threats from China, Russia and North Korea, say senior Biden administration officials.

Decisions on whether to deploy more nuclear weapons are being left to the incoming Trump administration, which has yet to spell out its defense plans.

During his first term in office, Donald Trump endorsed all of the major nuclear weapons programs he inherited from the Obama administration and added two new nuclear systems. The Trump transition didn’t respond to requests for comment.

Quote:

A declassified report on the nuclear employment guidance that will be sent to Congress on Friday doesn’t outline specific options under consideration but notes that “it may be necessary to adapt current U.S. nuclear force capability, posture, composition, or size” to deal with “multiple adversaries who are making nuclear weapons more central to their national security strategies.”

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Comment:  AI Response to Query same as Title of the above News Article took time and finally generated this response -- there is no named news source as so stated.

Quote:

US Nuclear Force Expansion

According to Biden administration officials, the United States must be prepared to expand its nuclear weapons force in response to growing threats from China and other nations. This strategic shift reflects the Pentagon’s estimates that China’s nuclear force will expand to 1,000 by 2030 and 1,500 by 2035, nearing the current levels of the US and Russia.

Key Points:

• The administration has approved a classified plan to prepare for possible coordinated nuclear attacks from Russia, China, and North Korea.
• The revised strategy aims to triple US nuclear capacity from 2020 levels, with a goal of 200 gigawatts (GW) of net nuclear capacity by 2050.
• Short-term goals will be implemented to achieve this ultimate target.
• The expansion is necessary to ensure the US can respond effectively to simultaneous wars with China and Russia, as recommended by a congressionally appointed bipartisan panel.

Implications:

• The US nuclear modernization program will be strengthened to prepare for potential conflicts.
• Conventional forces will be expanded, and alliances will be strengthened to deter aggression.
• If measures are not taken, the US may have to rely more heavily on nuclear weapons, according to the Strategic Posture Commission report.

Note: The information provided focuses solely on the Biden administration’s stance on expanding the US nuclear weapons force, without referencing specific news articles or sources.

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Comment:  AI above cites "Strategic Posture Commission report."

Here is a Fact Sheet:  https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/IF/IF12621  

Congressional Commission on the U.S. Strategic Posture, April 1, 2024

Quote from Fact Sheet:

The SPC report endorses a U.S. nuclear strategy “based on six fundamental tenets—assured second strike, flexible response, tailored deterrence, extended deterrence and assurance, calculated ambiguity in declaratory policy, [and] hedge against risk.”

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Comment:  AI report directly above has a bullet point regarding 200 GW Nuclear Capacity so here is the AI on that point -- refers to nuclear power generation goal by 2050.  This got mixed in with nuclear weapons.  All to say, AI needs human checking.  Again, these AI results do not provide sources or "explicit" search results.  

200 GW Nuclear Capacity

The United States has set a target to triple its nuclear energy capacity by 2050, requiring an additional 200 GW of net nuclear capacity. This goal is aligned with the country’s commitment to reach net-zero emissions by 2050.

Breakdown of New Capacity

• The plan envisions adding 35 GW of new capacity by 2035 and sustaining a pace of 15 GW per year by 2040.
• Existing nuclear power plant sites have the potential to host up to 60-95 GW of new capacity, with 41 operating and retired sites suitable for large light-water reactors like the AP1000.
• Additionally, sites with previously planned but never built reactors could be reactivated, adding up to 24 GW of clean energy capacity.

Global Context

• Globally, there are approximately 440 operational commercial nuclear reactors, with about 390 GW of total capacity.
• The International Energy Agency’s Net Zero Emissions by 2050 Scenario (NZE) projects nuclear capacity increasing to 916 GW by 2050.

Implications

• Achieving 200 GW of net nuclear capacity in the US by 2050 will require significant investment and coordination among government agencies, industry, and power customers.
• This goal will help the country meet its climate targets while ensuring a reliable and clean energy supply.

Note: The provided information focuses solely on the 200 GW net nuclear capacity target and its context, without referencing external sources or search results explicitly.