Tactical Nuclear Weapons and NATO.pdf - Program on Strategic ...

er-projection capabilities, <strong>and</strong> integrated comm<strong>and</strong>
<strong>and</strong> control—all underwritten by strong political commitments.”
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KEEPING U.S. OPTIONS OPEN
Specifically addressing the continuing importance
of extended nuclear deterrence, the NPR made it clear
that the United States will retain the capability to
forward-deploy nuclear weapons on tactical fighterbombers
<strong>and</strong> heavy bombers. In addition, the Obama
administration decided to proceed with a full-scope
life-extension program for the remaining B-61 bombs,
including safety, security, <strong>and</strong> surety enhancements.
The B-61 will be deliverable by the F-35 Joint Strike
Fighter <strong>and</strong> the B-2 bomber. 23
Moving beyond Europe, the NPR stated that:
in Asia <strong>and</strong> the Middle East—where there are no multilateral
alliance structures analogous to <strong>NATO</strong>—the
United States has maintained extended deterrence
through bilateral alliances <strong>and</strong> security relationships
<strong>and</strong> through its forward military presence <strong>and</strong> security
guarantees. 24
The United States withdrew its forward-deployed
nuclear weapons from the Pacific region at the end of
the Cold War. This included removing nuclear weapons
from naval surface vessels <strong>and</strong> general purpose
submarines, as well as from bases in South Korea.
Since then, the United States has relied on “its central
strategic forces <strong>and</strong> the capacity to redeploy non-strategic
nuclear systems in East Asia, if needed, in times
of crisis.” 25 The Obama administration is:
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