Russia’s “First Use” Nuclear Policy is Our New Reality

Dr. Keith Payne of the National Institute for Public Policy was a guest on Frank Gaffney’s radio show today and he shed some light on Russia’s goals and ambitions with regard to nuclear weapons.

Payne cited an important 2012 quote from the U.S. National Intelligence Council.

“Nuclear ambitions in the U.S. and Russia over the last twenty years have evolved in opposite directions. Reducing the role of nuclear weapons, a U.S. security strategy, is a U.S. objective, while Russia is pursuing new concepts and capabilities for expanding the role of nuclear weapons in its security strategy.”

Payne went on to explain how Russia is trying to reassert its dominance in a post-Soviet world and described Russia’s thinking with regard to using nuclear weapons. He suggests that they have a “first use” policy and that they believe by striking first, the enemy (us and our allies) would immediately stand down. It’s a horrifying scenario.

Payne also describes in detail, new modifications to Russia’s nuclear weapons which make them more precise and capable of penetrating underground targets.

Gaffney brought up NATO’s flexible response doctrine and asked Payne to compare it to what Russia is doing today. Payne responded:

“What the Russians appear to be doing with this doctrine is saying, we will expand our dominance, we will expand our territory and if you respond to this taking of territory, this changing of borders, we will use nuclear weapons first.”

Payne and Gaffney then go on to discuss Russia’s aggressive pursuit of new weaponry with improved technology as well as a policy on hiding nuclear weapons in plain sight, such as in railway cars.

All of this is happening as the U.S. is pursuing an exact opposite policy of nuclear non-proliferation.

Finally, Gaffney and Payne discussed America’s nuclear infrastructure, which is aging and in many ways outdated on human and technological levels.

How many average Americans are aware of this reality?