August 09, 2016
The nuclear mission must stay manned
A lot of things can and should be automated—but nuclear bombers are not one of them.
Unfortunately, it’s not clear that Moscow agrees.Reports surfaced in July that Russia has begun development of a hypersonic nuclear bomber that can deliver nuclear strikes from outer space. Unnamed officials quoted in the semi-official Russian news organPravda say that the bomber will have an unmanned variant. Their statement has not been confirmed, but the idea that Russia would pursue an unmanned nuclear bomber is not new. The commander of Russia’s long-range aviation fleet, Lt. Gen. Anatoly Zhikharev, stated in 2012 that Russia was considering developing a “pilotless” sixth-generation nuclear bomber.
To read the full article, visit The Bulletin's website.
More from CNAS
-
U.S. Iran Talks Face Persistent Impasse
Bloomberg Economics analysts Becca Wasser and Dina Esfandiary say the U.S. and Iran remain far apart on key issues, with intermittent strikes and negotiations likely to define...
By Becca Wasser
-
Defense Tech’s Big Test
Commentary
Introduction The U.S. defense sector is at the front end of the largest private capital cycle it has ever seen, with venture capital investment assuming an inceasingly powerfu...
By Mela Louise Norman
-
U.S. Missile Stockpiles Under Pressure
Video
Germany is buying US Tomahawk missiles even as Europe races to build its own defense industry. Bloomberg Economics' Becca Wasser, an adjunct senior fellow at the Center for a ...
By Becca Wasser
-
Trump Uses Air Force One to Depart Turkey
Video
Becca Wasser, an adjunct senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security, joins CNN This Morning to discuss why President Trump flew home from Turkey on the old the Ai...
By Becca Wasser
