The massive new nuclear weapons rearmament program is scheduled to start in February 2026, when the New START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) with Russia runs out, the report said on Monday.
The decision to expand the arsenal was made following the conclusion by US nuclear policymakers that the US armed forces may be called upon to confront challenges from several nuclear-armed powers ranging from Russia and/or China to Iran and North Korea at the same time, the report said.
Moreover, the report noted that, under a series of previous arms control treaties with Russia and other nations, the world’s nuclear stockpile declined from 70,000 warheads in 1986 to around 12,000 today. However, China is now rapidly expanding its nuclear arsenal, from a few hundred warheads in 2020 to an estimated 1,000 by 2030 and 1,500 by 2035, the report said.