Gen. John Hyten, commander of the U.S. Strategic Command, said at a Senate hearing on the fiscal 2020 defense budget that the nation needs nuclear triad modernization, the Department of Defense said Tuesday.
Hyten told senators there should be a focus on updating the triad’s communications system and producing a network of ground and space-based sensors and radars that detect missile launches. He noted that nuclear modernization doesn’t mean creating a new class of missiles and each component of the triad is crucial for nuclear deterrence.Â
According to Hyten, the recent Nuclear Posture Review validates the nation’s need for an updated nuclear triad. He added that Russia, which began a nuclear triad modernization initiative in 2006, is around 80 percent finished while China is slated to establish their own triad threat.Â