NEW DETAILS: Pentagon reconsidering nuclear arms strategy

>> Sandra: THE PENTAGON IS. RETHINKING AMERICA'S NUCLEAR. PLAY BOOK WITH SHORTER WEAPONS. THAT COULD GIVE THE PRESIDENT. MORE OPTIONS WITH A SHOWDOWN. WITH RUSSIA OR CHINA. COULD ALSO LOWER THE BAR FOR. NUCLEAR WAR. JENNIFER GRIFFIN IS REPORTING. LIVE ON THAT OUT OF WASHINGTON. FOR US. >> Reporter: HI, SANDRA. THAT'S RIGHT. CRITICS SAY THE CHANGES MAY. INCREASE THE LIKELIHOOD THAT. NUCLEAR WEAPONS ARE USED IN A.

CONFLICT. THE PENTAGON'S UNDER SECRETARY. FOR POLICY IS LEADING THE. CLASSIFIED REVIEW TO EXAMINE A. GREATER ROLE FOR LIMITED SHORTER. RANGE NUCLEAR WEAPONS BY THE. PENTAGON AS IT TRIES TO COUNTER. CHINA AND RUSSIA. IN AN UPDATE TO CONGRESS ON THE. 2026 NATIONAL DEFENSE STRATEGY, OR NDS, KOL BY WROTE, QUOTE, THE. DEPARTMENT IS UNDERTAKING AN NDS. CLASSIFIED REVIEW OF U.S. NUCLEAR EMPLOYMENT GUIDANCE WITH. THE GOAL OF INCREASING OPTIONS. AVAILABLE TO THE PRESIDENT FOR.

PURPOSES OF DETERRING OR. RESPONDING EFFECTIVELY TO A. NUCLEAR CONTINGENCY. RUSSIA HAS REPEATEDLY HINTED AT. POTENTIAL NUCLEAR USE AFTER. INVADING UKRAINE, AN ATTEMPT TO. INDIM DATE NATO INTO NOT HELPING. UKRAINE. RUSSIA'S ARSENAL IS ESTIMATED AT. 1,800 DEPLOYED STRATEGIC WAR. HEADS AND A VAST STOCK PILE OF. TACTICAL WEAPONS. CHINA IS UNDERGOING THE LARGEST. NUCLEAR EXPANSION IN ITS. HISTORY, WITH AN ESTIMATED STOCK.

PILE OF 620 NUCLEAR WAR HEADS AS. OF 2026 PROJECTED TO SURPASS. 1,000 WAR HEADS BY 2030. >> THIS IS NOT A HYPOTHETICAL. FUTURE PROBLEM. THIS IS A NOW CRISIS. CHINA IS ENGAGED IN A. BREATHTAKING EXPANSION OF ITS. NUCLEAR ARSENAL WHY RUSSIA, WITH. THE WORLD'S LARGEST ARSENAL, CONTINUES TO MODERNIZE ITS. FORCES INTEGRATING NEW KINDS OF. NUCLEAR WEAPONS INTO ITS. STRATEGY FOR COERCION.

>> Reporter: U.S. AND RUSSIA HAD. AGREED TO NUCLEAR PARITY AND. LIMITS TO THEIR STOCK PILE UNDER. THE NEW START TREATY. FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 1972, THE UNITED STATES AND RUSSIA. HAVE NO BILATERAL NUCLEAR ARMS. CONTROL AGREEMENT. THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ALLOWED. THE NEW START TREATY TO EXPIRE. IN FEBRUARY AFTER PUTIN. SUSPENDED PARTICIPATION IN 2023. AFTER HE INVADED UKRAINE. WITHOUT A TREATY, PUTIN GAINS. FLEXIBILITY TO USE TACTICAL.

NUKES. WEAKNESS OF THE NEW STAR TREATY. WAS THAT CHINA WAS NEVER PARTY.