* The Pentagon published its National Defense Strategy on Thursday
* It is a declassified form of a classified document already circulated to lawmakers
* Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin briefed reporters on its contents
* He was asked if cutting a sea-launched missile sent the right message to Putin
* 'He understands what our capability is,' said Austin in response
Eight months after Russia's invasion of Ukraine and with China stepping up its nuclear, space and cyberforce capabilities, on Thursday the Pentagon defended its decision to scrap development of a new sea-launched cruise missile.
The decision to cancel the submarine-launched cruise missile comes even though senior military figures wanted it to continue.
And at the same time the Pentagon also confirmed it was retiring the B83-1 gravity bomb - 80 to 100 times more powerful than the bomb dropped on Hiroshima in World War Two.
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WNU Editor: The review that decided the fate on developing this sea-launched cruise missile was blunt saying "it has zero value" .... Nuclear Sea-Launched Cruise Missile Has ‘Zero Value,’ Latest Nuclear Posture Review Finds (USNI News).
Pentagon Defends Decision To Scrap The Development Of A New Sea-Launched Cruise Missile
U.S. to scrap sea-launched nuclear missile despite military backing -- Reuters
Pentagon defends cutting nuclear missile program in national defense strategy amid Russian tension -- FOX News
Biden moves to scrap Trump-era sea-launched nuclear missile program -- The Hill
White House Seeks to Cancel U.S. Navy's Nuclear Cruise Missile -- Maritime Executive
Biden National Defense Strategy seeks to cancel Trump-era nuclear weapon program -- UPI
Biden to scrap Trump missile project but critics attack US ‘nuclear overkill’ -- The Guardian