The U.S. Department of Defense is reportedly discussing a new nuclear strategy that emphasizes the use of short-range tactical nuclear weapons to defend allies in regional conflicts against China and Russia.
According to NBC News on August 5, a draft of the new strategy, overseen by Elbridge Colby, the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense, focuses more on short-range tactical nuclear weapons rather than relying on long-range strategic nuclear capabilities.
Sources familiar with the matter indicated that this strategy is designed to respond to scenarios where U.S. allies face attacks from China or Russia.
A senior official at the Department of Defense told NBC, "We believe there is a need for reliable nuclear options." The official explained that if President Donald Trump secures practical and credible options through the new strategy, it could diversify response measures and enhance deterrence.
If adopted, the new strategy is expected to significantly impact the security landscape of U.S. allies South Korea and Japan, which are adjacent to China and Russia.
Colby was reportedly scheduled to discuss the new strategy at a closed event during a visit to the U.S. Strategic Command in Nebraska. The command oversees and manages U.S. nuclear weapons and deterrence strategies.
Tactical nuclear weapons are designed to achieve military objectives on the battlefield by targeting limited objectives such as enemy troops or military bases. In contrast, strategic nuclear weapons focus on incapacitating an adversary's war-fighting capabilities or national infrastructure through large-scale destruction.
Colby has long advocated for the need for low-yield short-range tactical nuclear weapons that target smaller objectives rather than major cities like capitals.
A senior official at the Department of Defense stated, "If we want extended deterrence to be credible, we need to provide nuclear capabilities to the political leadership of those countries that are reasonable enough to consider actual use."
The official added, "Otherwise, our leadership's options will be reduced to extreme choices that adversaries do not believe in, which would undermine deterrence."
This discussion is likely to reignite concerns that increasing the emphasis on tactical nuclear weapons could lower the threshold for nuclear use and weaken preparedness.
A senior member of Congress criticized the discussions as "a study that is very far from President Trump's stated position of making nuclear deterrence great again." They added, "It is clear that he (Colby) wants more options and capabilities, not fewer, calling it a weak and timid study."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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