An admiral has warned of a potential nuclear war with China or Russia as he suggested there is “a real possibility” of it actually happening.
As Admiral Charles A. Richard, the 11th commander of United States Strategic Command, confirmed, rising tensions between world superpowers are “aggressively challenging” the world order and proving that the possibility of a nuclear war is real.
While the head of STRATCOM insisted that “the probability of nuclear use is low,” he warned that “events that currently appear unlikely” should not be dismissed because they would have “catastrophic consequences.”
According to the top military official, there is increasing concern about Chinese and Russian “cyber-attacks and threats in space,” whereas Richard accused the two nuclear giants of using “the global pandemic to advance their national agendas.”
“Until we, as a department, come to understand, if not accept, what we are facing and what should be done about it, we run the risk of developing plans we cannot execute and procuring capabilities that will not deliver desired outcomes,” the admiral, who believes that the country should get ready for the worst-case scenario, said.point 437 | 1
“In the absence of change, we are on the path, once again, to prepare for the conflict we prefer, instead of one we are likely to face.”
Richard went on to suggested that China and Russia’s “behaviors are destabilizing” and that they could lead to a full-out conflict or a power crisis if not addressed in time.
“We must actively compete to hold their aggression in check; ceding to their initiatives risks reinforcing their perceptions that the United States is unwilling or unable to respond, which could further embolden them,” he added.
Speaking of Russia, Richard claimed that the military has been rapidly “modernizing its nuclear forces” which include intercontinental ballistic missiles. According to the admiral, the modernization is 70 percent complete and will be finished in a few years.
“In addition, Russia is building new and novel systems, such as hypersonic glide vehicles, nuclear-armed and nuclear-powered torpedoes and cruise missiles, and other capabilities,” he warned.
Richard also drew a connection to the SolarWinds hack that left the data of dozens of US government agencies exposed to the hackers. While the States blamed the attack on Russia, the latter denied all involvement in the incident.
In his warning, Richard also pointed out that China is not to be underestimated because they continue to expand their nuclear capability and “harass” foreign forces in international waters.
“Like Russia, it acts aggressively to challenge democratic values and shape the global economic order to its benefit. China continues to make technological leaps in capabilities in every domain,” he wrote.
“Across its conventional weapons systems, it continues to invest significant resources in hypersonic and advanced missile systems, as well as to expand its space and counter-space capabilities.”
The admiral also warned that China is “expected to double (if not triple or quadruple)” its nuclear arsenal in the next decade.
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