{"id":8103,"date":"2026-03-26T21:40:20","date_gmt":"2026-03-26T21:40:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sawahsolutions.com\/range\/national-defense-strategy-falls-short-on-nuclear-space-threat-sasc-chair\/"},"modified":"2026-03-26T21:40:21","modified_gmt":"2026-03-26T21:40:21","slug":"national-defense-strategy-falls-short-on-nuclear-space-threat-sasc-chair","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sawahsolutions.com\/range\/national-defense-strategy-falls-short-on-nuclear-space-threat-sasc-chair\/","title":{"rendered":"National Defense Strategy \u2018falls short\u2019 on nuclear, space threat: SASC chair"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Count the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee among the defense-policy experts who say the National Defense Strategy is inadequate in key ways.<\/p>\n

At a Thursday hearing, Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., said the defense policy\u2019s tepid treatment of satellites and nuclear weapons might encourage Chinese and Russian ambitions.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s no secret that I believe this NDS falls short in several areas,\u201d Wicker told U.S. Strategic and Space Command leaders gathered to testify. \u201cI am particularly concerned that the current strategy does not address space and nuclear threats with anywhere near the urgency they deserve.\u201d<\/p>\n

The NDS makes only passing mention of Russia’s efforts \u201cto modernize and diversify\u201d its nuclear arsenal. It mentions space as one of several areas where \u201cdirect military threats to the American Homeland have also grown in recent years.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wicker raised concerns about Russia\u2019s reported development of a space-based nuclear anti-satellite weapon, saying it would be a \u201cmajor game changer.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lawmakers first began warning about such a device in early 2024. A few months later, Biden officials said a suspected Russian testbed satellite had been in orbit for two years, but that the weapon was not operational\u2014a claim Moscow denied. (Find a description of Russian and Chinese concepts of operations here.)<\/p>\n

The Trump administration\u2019s NDS does not mention the weapon, which Adm. Richard Correll, the head of U.S. Strategic Command, said is \u201cvery significant\u201d and something the U.S. military must prepare for.<\/p>\n

\u201cRussia has indicated, and has been publicly acknowledged, that they’re working on a nuclear capability that could be placed in space,\u201d Correll told lawmakers. \u201cWe have to account for it in terms of the architecture that we have and what we can do about it. The department’s very focused on that. We do have some options.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gen. Stephen Whiting, head of U.S. Space Command, said that a nuclear anti-satellite weapon would be devastating not only to the U.S., but any country that operates in outer space.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThat would be an indiscriminate weapon that, if detonated on orbit, would immediately place at risk every country’s space capabilities in low Earth orbit\u2014the United States, China, Russia, Japan, Europe, you name it,\u201d Whiting said. \u201cThat would violate the Outer Space Treaty and would not be a development, obviously, that we can tolerate.\u201d<\/p>\n

When asked how soon Russia could field such a nuclear space weapon, neither Correll or Whiting provided a public answer to lawmakers.<\/p>\n

Some senators expressed concern that the Trump administration has so weakened trust in the American \u201cnuclear umbrella\u201d that European leaders are considering launching the kind of atomic-weapons programs they long ago forswore.<\/p>\n

Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., asked Correll whether he was concerned by that development. The Navy admiral responded that he detected \u201cno change\u201d in attitudes from allies.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt every opportunity in mil-to-mil engagements, I reinforce our extended deterrence commitment on the part of the United States,\u201d Correll said.<\/p>\n

The National Defense Strategy called for supporting U.S. interests in the Western Hemisphere and said the government would \u201cincrease burden-sharing with allies and partners around the world.\u201d<\/p>\n

Similarly, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., told Correll that NATO allies\u2019 refusal to heed President Trump\u2019s requests for help with his war on Iran have made the U.S. government’s international relationships look weak to Russia and China.<\/p>\n

Correll told Warren he disagreed with her assessment and said the military relationship with allies remains strong and that China and Russia believe that to be the case, too.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Warren told the Navy admiral that his answer lacked \u201cany credibility.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRussia and China watch us insult our allies, then beg for their help, and then our allies don’t give that help, and you think Russia and China think \u2018there is an alliance that’s working just great?,\u2019\u201d Warren said. \u201cIt is not only an embarrassment when the President begs and our allies say no, it is a national-security threat, because our enemies take note of that.\u201d\n\n<\/svg><\/p>\n<\/div>\n