Fox News: US unprepared for nuclear conflict with China Conservative leaders warn Trump

A group of prominent conservatives and lawmakers has issued a stark warning to the Trump administration, stressing that the United States is ill-prepared for a nuclear confrontation with China, should conflict erupt in the Indo-Pacific.

A video set to be released on April 3, by the Heritage Foundation highlights that the US nuclear arsenal, which includes weapons nearly four decades old, is dangerously outdated, Caliber.Az reports, citing Fox News.

According to the military experts featured in the video, the United States no longer possesses the tactical nuclear weapons necessary to counter China's growing nuclear threat.

The 13-minute video, argues that the US has failed to modernise its nuclear stockpile, with its most recent nuclear weapon dating back over 35 years – a situation described by experts as akin to relying on a 'vintage Corvette' in a modern war.

The video begins by exploring a hypothetical scenario in which China launches a tactical nuclear strike on the US Air Force Base at Guam, resulting in 3,000 casualties. The US, in turn, is portrayed as seeking to retaliate, but military experts argue that the country would struggle to mount a successful counterattack due to a lack of up-to-date tactical nuclear capabilities.

The US has significantly reduced its nuclear arsenal since the end of the Cold War, and while arms control agreements with Russia have contributed to this decline, experts argue that this has left the US vulnerable. According to Bob Peters, a strategic deterrence fellow at Heritage, the US arsenal is now approximately 85% smaller than it was at the height of the Cold War.

Since 1991, the US has removed its naval and land-based tactical nuclear weapons from Korea and retired nuclear variants of the Tomahawk cruise missile that were stationed across the Pacific. The Trump administration's focus on the Middle East over the past several decades is blamed for this neglect of the growing threats posed by China in the Indo-Pacific.

China has made significant strides in expanding its nuclear arsenal, having tripled the size of its stockpile in the last five years. The country is on track to increase its nuclear warheads from 500 to 1,000 by 2030. In addition to its growing number of warheads, China is developing anti-ship nuclear capabilities and space-based systems capable of launching nuclear weapons from orbit.

In the video, Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, criticised the US for neglecting the Indo-Pacific region while engaging in what he described as "endless wars" in the Middle East. He emphasised the need for a stronger and more modern US Navy that prioritises the capabilities necessary to confront the threats posed by China.

While the US has been promoting arms control, the video argues that it is not investing in the modernisation of its nuclear weapons, particularly in the tactical domain. "We need to replace the outdated warheads and missiles that were meant to be retired decades ago," the video stresses.

Experts, including Adm. Charles Richard, the former head of US Strategic Command, warn that the US must bolster its military capabilities to deter China and maintain a strategic advantage. The video concludes by calling for a renewed focus on strengthening the US military to ensure that China and other adversaries do not perceive the US as vulnerable.

Rebecca Heinrichs, a senior fellow at Heritage, added, "The United States must field the military capabilities that will convince Chinese leadership that today is not the day to pick a fight with the US or its allies."

The US’s failure to modernise its nuclear arsenal and strengthen its military could have significant repercussions for global security, particularly in the face of China's growing military and nuclear capabilities.

By Aghakazim Guliyev