OMAHA, Neb. — U.S. Strategic Command (STRATCOM) Commander Adm. Richard Correll said the United States is navigating a “once-in-every-other-generation” modernization effort as emerging technologies and a complex threat environment place greater urgency on decisions shaping the future nuclear deterrent.
Giving opening remarks at STRATCOM’s annual Deterrence Symposium, Correll said the Pentagon is simultaneously recapitalizing all three legs of the nuclear triad. It is also modernizing nuclear command, control and communications, fielding advanced conventional capabilities and integrating artificial intelligence and autonomous systems while maintaining a credible nuclear deterrent, he added.
“The decisions we make now about requirements, timelines and resources … will serve our nation for the next 50 to 70 years,” Correll said, adding he remains “absolutely confident” in the current and future U.S. deterrent.
Correll described today’s strategic environment as the most complex of his lifetime, citing five converging threat vectors: cyber operations, counterspace capabilities, a contested electromagnetic spectrum, novel missile systems and supply chain vulnerabilities.
While describing technology as transformative, Correll argued that integration — not innovation alone — will determine future military success.
Correll closed by reaffirming confidence in U.S. strategic deterrence, pointing to three pillars: the readiness of STRATCOM personnel, the resilience of the nuclear triad and the support of allies and partners, which he called an “asymmetric advantage” unmatched by U.S. competitors.