The U.S. And Russia Are Stocking Up On Nuclear Weapons That Could Be Used In A Tactical Nuclear Conflict

The U.S.'s new W76-2 nuclear warhead is a smaller version of the much more powerful W76-1. They are launched on the same kind of missile. Petty Officer 1st Class Ronald Gutridge/DVIDS

NPR: The U.S. And Russia Are Stocking Up On Missiles And Nukes For A Different Kind Of War

At a Russian base on the Baltic Sea, construction is underway to house a new generation of nuclear-capable missiles.

Tentlike structures have popped up to shelter the mobile missile system, known as Iskander, which is capable of firing weapons with both conventional and nuclear warheads. Recent satellite imagery of the territory, known as Kaliningrad, also shows that old buildings on the base are being demolished.

"It really looks like the base is getting a pretty comprehensive overhaul," says Jeffrey Lewis, a scholar at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey who has been analyzing the satellite imagery taken by San Francisco-based company Planet. "Right now, it's just a big construction site."

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WNU Editor: During the Cold War the view was that if tactical weapons were used, it would then be quickly followed by strategic nuclear weapons being used on a massive scale. This is why the current talk about the possibility of using tactical nuclear weapons on a limited basis is dangerous. A limited nuclear war between two major nuclear powers cannot be maintained. It will quickly spiral out of control, and all within 24 hours.

Update: Yup .... both sides are not sure what the other side is doing and/or thinking .... US-Russia chill stirs worry about stumbling into conflict (AP).