The Cruise Missile Could Be Mattis's Nuclear Crisis

Tom Z. Collina

Security, Americas

The new defense secretary should be skeptical about acquiring nuclear missiles.

During his January 12 Senate confirmation hearing, new Defense Secretary James Mattis was asked if he would support the Obama administration’s trillion-dollar plan to rebuild the U.S. nuclear arsenal over the next few decades. One would have expected General Mattis to say the safe thing as a Republican nominee testifying before a Republican-led Senate Armed Services Committee, but his answer was surprising.

Mattis, who was just confirmed today, offered his general support for each aspect of the nuclear program: the Columbia-class submarine, the B-21 bomber and even a new long-range ballistic missile. But when it came to the proposed nuclear-armed cruise missile, known as the Long-Range Standoff weapon, he paused and said, “I need to look at that one.”

“My going in position is that it makes sense, but I have to look at it in terms of its deterrence capability,” Mattis told the Senate.

His written answer on the cruise missile was even more cautious: “I will carefully examine the utility and advisability of this program within existing nuclear doctrine and report back to the Committee with an informed answer.”

Why is General Mattis hedging his bets on the cruise missile? Maybe he can see the writing on the wall: the Pentagon is unlikely to be able to afford all the new weapons it wants to buy. Additionally, the case for the nuclear cruise missile—expected to cost at least $20 billion—is weak. Also, the program has some powerful opponents. No point in sticking your neck out for the slowest zebra in the herd.

Especially since Mattis’s boss is saying he thinks nuclear weapons should be greatly reduced.

Read full article