Nuclear security

Trump administration will 'increase risk of nuclear war' with new plans to develop smaller warheads that are less destructive and a loosening of 'first-use' constraints, experts warn

The Trump administration is being accused of making nuclear war more likely with plans to introduce lower-yield nuclear weapons with reduced destructive capability that would diminish the psychological bar for using them.  

A former US official who claims to have seen a draft of the plans told the The Guardian newspaper on Tuesday that the Pentagon is spearheading the initiative ordered by the White House.  

Jon Wolfsthal, who was special assistant to Barack Obama on arms control and nonproliferation, said security officials envision a more versatile program by applying a modified nuclear warhead to the Trident D5 submarine.

The White House, Wolfsthal said, is also attempting to loosen constraints that guide first-strike protocols, in what he described as a decidedly more hawkish posture that breaks away from historical precedent.  

The aim of the new policy is to deter Russia from using tactical warheads in a possible conflict with Eastern Europe, according to The Guardian. The program also seeks to reign in other state actors that may threaten US interests.