Pentagon drafts new nuclear strategy to counter Russia and China
New nuclear strategy: Updating US response options to counter Russia and China, with a focus on tactical weapons in regional conflicts
Informed sources have revealed that the US Department of War is drafting a new nuclear strategy in preparation for potential war scenarios with Russia and China, with a focus on the potential use of short-range tactical nuclear weapons in the event of a regional conflict.
According to an NBC News report, Elbridge Colby, the Pentagon’s chief of defense policy, is overseeing this strategy. He is expected to attend a closed military event in Nebraska on Wednesday to brief military leadership on his new vision, including a special visit to US Strategic Command, which is responsible for nuclear forces.
Updating nuclear response options
Under this new plan, it is believed that the nuclear response options available to the US president during crises will be updated, aiming to achieve a delicate balance between preventing the escalation of conventional war into nuclear war, while simultaneously preventing adversaries from exploiting any gaps in the US response.
Colby’s new strategy challenges the guidelines followed for decades in US nuclear policy, adopting a different approach focused on increasing the role of tactical nuclear weapons, unlike the current strategy that calls for using long-range strategic weapons to destroy an adversary’s nuclear forces.
Confronting two main nuclear rivals
The Pentagon has warned that the United States faces two main nuclear rivals simultaneously—Russia and China—acknowledging the complexity of the global security landscape and the multiplicity of threats that require flexible and diverse strategies.
Experts indicate that the new strategy has raised concerns among some analysts who believe it may weaken deterrence policy, as the threat of a large-scale nuclear strike may appear less credible, and it could reduce US combat readiness in some scenarios.
JUST IN: 🇺🇸 US drafts new nuclear strategy in case of regional war with China or Russia, NBC reports. pic.twitter.com/l7Qm0rVluA
— BRICS News (@BRICSinfo) August 5, 2026
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