WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 22nd February, 2020) The United States is replacing its current nuclear stockpile with newer models while maintaining the same number of missiles in its inventory, a senior Defense Department official told reporters on Friday.
"The broader modernization is almost a one for one replacement," the official said. "We are not adding to the size of the inventory, so there is no reason for them [Russia] to increase the size of their strategic forces."
The New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) is the last remaining legally binding US-Russian agreement on nuclear arms control. It is due to expire in February 2021 but has the potential to be renewed for another five years.
Renewing New START is a step officials in Russia have repeatedly said they were ready to take, but the US administration has said it would prefer a new treaty that includes both Russia and China.
