RT reported on November 24 that in a statement on November 21, the Pentagon said that "many nuclear-armed opponents challenge the security of the United States and its allies and partners," adding that those countries are developing and modernizing their nuclear arsenal.
In this situation, Mr. Richard Johnson - Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense of the US - has only named Russia and China, noting that the US may need to adjust the Nuclear Area Assessment to maintain the ability to deter nuclear. However, he said that current nuclear modernization efforts may not be enough.
To address those concerns, the Pentagon "has taken steps to deploy capabilities to enhance nuclear deterrence and flexibility," according to Johnson.
Key steps include developing the B61-13 gravity bomb and enhancing the readiness of the Ohio-class nuclear-powered Submarine.
The Pentagon announced the development of a new variation of the B61 bomb last October, saying it would replace some older versions and provide the US with additional options against some of the heaviest, large- Area military targets.
Meanwhile, Washington stressed that the deployment of the B61-13 is not in response to any current event and will not increase the overall nuclear arsenal.
The Ohio-class Submarine is a key element of the US nuclear triad and was designed specifically for nuclear deterrence. They can be equipped with Trident missiles with a range of up to 12,000 km.
Mr. Johnson's comments were made after President Vladimir Putin signed an order to amend Russia's nuclear doctrine.
The lesson lists 10 threats that need to be addressed by nuclear deterrence, from nuclear weapons stockpiles owned by hostile parties to the ability to proliferate uncontrolled weapons of mass destruction.
The document states that an attack on Russia and/or its allies by a single member of a bloc, including those without nuclear weapons, will be considered an attack by the entire bloc. The same goes for when a country is not officially a military organization backed by a nuclear power.
President Putin signed a decree on November 19 as the US and several Western countries allowed Ukraine to use foreign-made long-range weapons to strike deep into Russia, despite Moscow's warnings that this would escalate the conflict and lead to NATO's direct involvement in the fighting.
Earlier last week, Russia launched a new attack on Ukraine with the latest Oreshnik medium-range hypersonic missile, in response to Kiev's cross-border attacks using US-made ATACMS and HIMARS missile systems, as well as British-made Storm Shadow missiles.
