Should the United States Maintain the Nuclear Triad?

Some past and present members of the military leadership hold a view that supports the nuclear arsenal. Senior leaders have given a number of public speeches and interviews outlining what it will take to maintain and modernize the most advanced and secure nuclear arsenal in the world. A key aspect of the general position held by supporters of the nuclear arsenal includes retaining the triad and replacing aging platforms. In the ongoing debate over the appropriate size and purpose of the nuclear arsenal, abolitionists--clearly in the ascendency--make six basic arguments that would ultimately lead to creation of a nuclear monad before reaching total disarmament. Admittedly, each of these arguments has some element of truth they do not, however, represent a complete understanding of the strategic role played by nuclear weapons in ensuring the sovereignty of the United States or the specific contribution of each leg of the triad. Although each of the abolitionists arguments deserves a detailed refutation, a focus on the relevance of the triad must suffice.