Washington should focus on modernizing its nuclear arsenal and missile defense system.
„Russia has a huge nuclear arsenal. China is rapidly building its own - hundreds of new nuclear weapons year after year. „We need to modernize our nuclear triad - on land, at sea and in the air“, said US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Fox News. “But that also applies to the Iron Dome “or “Golden Dome“, whatever you want to call it“, added the defense chief, speaking about US President Donald Trump's plans to create a new missile defense system in the United States. The Pentagon chief assured that he intends to ensure that the budget appropriations for the creation of such a system are included in the budget for the fiscal year 2026.
As the Financial Times reported on January 30, the latest missile defense system being developed by the United States, “America's Iron Dome“, envisages the deployment of space-based interceptor systems equipped with lasers to destroy nuclear weapons. The publication notes that Trump has instructed Hegseth to present a plan for the deployment of such a system within 60 days.
Hegseth, answering questions from US senators before his January 14 confirmation hearing for the post of US Secretary of Defense, noted that Washington is ready to “build a modern nuclear triad“ if there is no dialogue on arms control. Trump, speaking via video link to the World Economic Forum in Davos on January 23, said he would like to see the nuclear arsenals of Russia, the United States and China reduced. He expressed confidence that there was a good chance of that happening.