© Vladimir Smirnov via Getty Images
"There is a real possibility that a regional crisis with Russia or China could escalate quickly to a conflict involving nuclear weapons, if they perceived a conventional loss would threaten the regime or state," Vice Adm. Charles Richard wrote in the February edition of the US Naval Institute's monthly magazine.
In response, the U.S. Military must "shift its principal assumption from 'nuclear employment is not possible' to 'nuclear employment is a very real possibility,' and act to meet and deter that reality," according to Richard.
The STRATCOM chief also asserted that Russia and China "have begun to aggressively challenge international norms and global peace using instruments of power and threats of force in ways not seen since the height of the Cold War."
Despite the fact that Beijing only has around 320 nuclear warheads compared to the United States' 6,000, Richard said America would need to modernize its stockpile.
"Even if Beijing doubles its arsenal over the next decade, as the China hawks are predicting, it will still be small compared to Washington's," writes Dave DeCamp. "The US would have to eliminate a good amount of its arsenal to convince Beijing to participate in arms control agreements."
Comment: That hawks are back in action, boys.