Step-by-step explanation:
The world has changed a great deal in the last decade and a half. The Cold War stand-off
with the Soviet Union is over, and Russia is no longer an ideological adversary. The
United States has made historic reductions in its operationally deployed strategic nuclear
forces and plans to reduce them to a level of 1,700 to 2,200 by 2012, as called for by the
Moscow Treaty. The U.S. has also greatly reduced its non-strategic nuclear forces and
the total nuclear warhead stockpile. These significant nuclear reductions are fully
warranted in the new security environment.
The United States continues to maintain nuclear forces for two fundamental reasons.
First, the international security environment remains dangerous and unpredictable, and
has grown more complicated since the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Political
intentions can change overnight and technical surprises can be expected. Second, nuclear
weapons continue to play unique roles in supporting U.S. national security. Although not
suited for every 21st century challenge, nuclear weapons remain an essential element in
modern strategy.