US nuclear commander says future sea-launched cruise missile ‘not a bargaining chip’

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The nation’s top nuclear commander says the Pentagon’s plan to develop a new sea-launched, low-yield nuclear cruise missile should not be considered a “bargaining chip,” despite language in the recent Trump nuclear doctrine that suggests the U.S. may give up the weapon if Russia changes its behavior.

“I don’t like the term ‘bargaining chip.’ The capabilities that we propose in the Nuclear Posture Review are in response to the threat,” Gen. John Hyten, commander of the U.S. Strategic Command, told lawmakers Tuesday.

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