US headed toward decision on new nuclear arms cuts

FILE - In this April 21, 2011, file photo then-Joint Chiefs Vice Chairman Gen. James Cartwright takes part in a news conference at the Pentagon. The Obama administration edges toward decisions that would shrink the U.S. nuclear arsenal, possibly to between 1,000 and 1,100 deployed long-range weapons. The coming decision reflects conclusions from an internal reassessment of the role of nuclear weapons in an age of terror, according to current and former officials. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

By Robert Burns

AP National Security Writer / July 3, 2012

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WASHINGTON—Officials say the Obama administration is moving toward decisions that would further cut the number of U.S. nuclear weapons, possibly to between 1,000 and 1,100.

The possible reductions reflect new thinking on the role of nuclear weapons in an age of terror.

President Barack Obama has said he believes the U.S. has more nuclear weapons than it needs. Cutting their numbers could save billions of dollars.

The White House has not announced any plan for reducing the number of nuclear weapons, beyond commitments made in the recently completed New Start treaty with Russia, which obliges both countries to reduce their number of deployed long-range nuclear warheads to no more than 1,550 by 2018. As of March 1, Russia had dropped its total to 1,492 and the U.S. stood at 1,737.