The Trump administration has issued a draft of the 2018 Nuclear Posture Review and plans to release the final version of the document in February, HuffPost reported Thursday.The administration aims to advance the development of low-yield nuclear weapons in an effort to deter regional aggression, according to the pre-decisional NPR draft obtained by the publication.
The draft document calls for the U.S. to raise its nuclear threshold and update dual-capable aircraft with the deployment of F-35A jets.
Other themes addressed in the draft NPR include the U.S. government’s support for NATO, use of diplomatic agreements in risk reduction efforts and support for the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization Preparatory Committee, according to the report.
The document also cited that the U.S. “will not resume nuclear explosive testing unless necessary to ensure the safety and effectiveness of the U.S. nuclear arsenal.”
The NPR report also calls for the modernization of the nuclear command, control and communications capabilities and sustainment of the country’s strategic nuclear triad that includes ballistic missile submarines, ground-based intercontinental ballistic missiles and strategic bombers.
