The Pentagon received more than 200 modernized nuclear warheads from the National Nuclear Security Agency (NNSA) in 2023, the largest number since the end of the Cold War. As the head of the NNSA, Jill Hruby, said, this significant achievement is designed to strengthen the position of the United States against the background of the growing nuclear ambitions of China and Russia.
According to Hruby, the supply of modernized ammunition was made possible by investments made by the administrations of former Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump, as well as current President Joe Biden. She noted that China is actively developing its delivery systems, including hypersonic missiles, at a pace that exceeds the rate of development of similar systems in the United States. This raises the risk that the PRC could become an equal rival in the nuclear field, with significant economic potential.
Hruby also expressed the opinion that nuclear power could be revived amid efforts to combat climate change. The NNSA receives about $21 billion to design and maintain the US nuclear arsenal in fiscal year 2025.
It is worth noting that the American National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) recently disclosed the number of nuclear weapons at the disposal of the Pentagon after several years of silence. This is the first disclosure of data on the US nuclear arsenal since 2021, reflecting the country's commitment to nuclear transparency.
