US-China-Russia Nuclear Race: Washington’s New Threats
- The United States confronts a new nuclear era as Russia and China develop arsenals rivaling its own, heightening the risk of grate-power conflict.
- Ensuring the national command authority—the president's ability to communicate with nuclear forces—remains secure is paramount.A vulnerable command structure could invite a nuclear decapitation strike, according to experts.
- China's nuclear force has tripled in recent years, reaching approximately 600 warheads.
The US faces a new nuclear era with Russia and China rapidly expanding their arsenals, escalating the risk of great-power conflict. This demands immediate attention to counter potential threats to the US nuclear command, control, and communications (NC3) system. The expansion of China’s nuclear force and Russia’s modernization efforts, including their anti-satellite capabilities, pose a critically importent challenge. Ensuring the president’s ability to command nuclear forces and modernizing NC3 is critical to prevent a nuclear decapitation strike. Addressing these threats requires refreshing continuity of operations procedures and upgrading mobile command posts to ensure survivability. This is a developing situation, and News Directory 3 is committed to keeping you informed as these events unfold. Discover what’s next in this new arms race.
US Nuclear Command Faces Rising China, Russia Threat
Updated June 02, 2025
The United States confronts a new nuclear era as Russia and China develop arsenals rivaling its own, heightening the risk of grate-power conflict. A Congressional Strategic Posture Commission report warned in 2023 that the U.S. is ill-prepared for this “existential challenge” unless leaders act decisively to adjust its strategic posture.
Ensuring the national command authority—the president’s ability to communicate with nuclear forces—remains secure is paramount.A vulnerable command structure could invite a nuclear decapitation strike, according to experts.
China’s nuclear force has tripled in recent years, reaching approximately 600 warheads. The Defense Department projects it could exceed 1,000 by 2030. Adm. Charles Richard,former head of U.S. Strategic Command, called China’s buildup ”breathtaking” in 2021.
This expansion raises the complex “three-body problem” of deterring two nuclear peers together.Adding to the complexity,increased cooperation between russia and China raises concerns about a potential combined nuclear attack.
both nations are developing capabilities to threaten the U.S. nuclear command, control, and communications (NC3) system, including anti-satellite weapons, cyber capabilities, and hypersonic delivery systems designed to evade missile defenses.
These developments raise the specter of nuclear decapitation, a scenario the U.S. has not faced in decades. A nuclear decapitation attack aims to eliminate the president and disrupt the NC3 system, preventing retaliation.
Ashton Carter,former U.S. Defense Secretary, noted in 1985 the futility of weapons and strategy without a reliable NC3 system to maintain control during a crisis.
China views counter-space operations as a means to “blind and deafen the enemy,” according to the Pentagon. They have tested anti-satellite weapons and reportedly engaged in satellite “dogfighting” in space. Additionally, China tested a system resembling the Soviet-era fractional orbital bombardment system (FOBS), designed for strikes with minimal warning.
Satellite imagery revealed massive, hardened bunkers in China, potentially the world’s largest military command center, providing an “advanced nuclear warfighting capability,” according to Dennis Wilder, a former U.S.intelligence officer.
Russia’s new Sarmat ICBM is considered a FOBS capability. President Vladimir Putin showcased the system in 2018 with an animation depicting a strike near former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort.
Russia has also tested anti-satellite capabilities, destroying a satellite in 2021, endangering other spacecraft.Concerns persist about Russia developing a satellite carrying a nuclear weapon in space, highlighted by its veto of a UN Security Council resolution reaffirming the ban on nuclear weapons in space.
Gen. Ronald burgess, former director of the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency, testified in 2011 that Russia was upgrading underground facilities for strategic nuclear force command and control. Putin announced the completion of a “secure facility” for controlling strategic nuclear forces in 2020.
while Russia and China have modernized their nuclear capabilities, the U.S. has only recently begun its modernization efforts. The Defense Department is upgrading early-warning systems and communications, but further attention is needed to ensure NC3 survivability.
Refreshing continuity of operations/continuity of government (COOP/COG) procedures is crucial. The Carter and Reagan administrations emphasized these procedures during the Soviet buildup of the 1970s. Subsequent administrations have largely neglected COOP/COG, except after 9/11.
Modernizing mobile alternate command posts is also essential. Fixed sites like Offutt Air Force Base, Raven Rock Mountain Complex, and Cheyenne Mountain Complex are prime targets. Airborne command posts, including the E-4B National Airborne Operations Center and Navy’s TACAMO aircraft, provide a survivable command center.
The Air Force is modernizing the E-4B through the Survivable Airborne Operations Center program, replacing legacy aircraft with adapted civilian aircraft by 2036. The Navy is upgrading its TACAMO aircraft to extend their service life until 2038.
Deterring two nuclear peers simultaneously will remain a challenge. Ensuring a robust NC3, fully funding supporting programs, and delivering upgraded capabilities on time are critical first steps.
What’s next
Continued investment in modernizing the U.S. NC3 system is essential to deterring potential adversaries and maintaining strategic stability in a rapidly changing global landscape.