US Considers Expanding W76-2 Nuclear Deterrence Capabilities

A US Navy SEAL officer, Adam Schwarze was active with the US Marines over the course of a decade before joining the Navy through the Naval Special Warfare program. Engaged in studies at Harvard University, Adam Schwarze is pursuing an international studies master’s degree and has undertaken certification in nuclear deterrence.

As detailed in the Department of Defense (DOD) News in 2020, an ongoing “nuclear triad” modernization process enjoys solid bipartisan support. This encompasses intercontinental ballistic missiles, bombers, and submarines, as well as control systems. One area of debate centers on the development of a separate low-yield class of tactical nuclear warhead, the W76-2. This could be deployed in situations such as a nuclear warhead on a submarine-launched ballistic missile.

According to W76-2 proponents, such a system would demonstrate to potential adversaries that even limited nuclear attacks would offer no practical benefit. Uncontrolled nuclear escalation would be the result of any attack, with many of the adversary’s cities hit. With this deterrence in place, they argue that America’s well established “no use first” policy would be solidified and nuclear war become even less likely.

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