the New START treaty does not constrain the United States from deploying the most effective missile defenses possible.

The United States will continue to configure and posture its forces to maintain the overall force's combined qualities of survivability, responsiveness, flexibility, and effectiveness for both large-scale and limited contingencies.

General Cartwright, as well as the rest of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Secretary of Defense, and both of us support the New START treaty including the limit of 700 on deployed strategic delivery vehicles.

DOD expects the current nuclear bomber force to remain in service through 2040.

why do you believe $100 billion is a sufficient investment in our delivery systems over the next decade?

the New START is supposed to be about strategic offensive nuclear arms.

the prohibition on the conversion of missile defense interceptors to offensive launchers set forth in Article V will have no operational impact on U.S. missile defense efforts.

the decision to agree to a limit of 700 deployed strategic delivery vehicles did not result from a change in the security environment

The administration will invest $100 billion over the next decade in nuclear delivery systems.

is there a chance the administration could decide against a new bomber, ALCM, or follow-on ICBM?

Russia will threaten to withdraw from the treaty should the United States expand its current missile defense capabilities.

I note that General Cartwright stated this concern after the NPR team had already conducted detailed analysis.

Are you at all worried about undercutting the Air Force's improved emphasis on the nuclear mission after the problems the Air Force had with the nuclear mission a few years ago?

how do we know the administration will pursue these programs?

At the July 2009 summit between Presidents Obama and Medvedev, the two presidents agreed to create a bilateral presidential commission.

the full exercise of the United States of its legal rights under the ABM Treaty . . . would not constitute a basis for such withdrawal.

Whatever that right to peaceful nuclear energy may be, surely it is not an unqualified right.

Once these provisions were agreed, it became clear that we could sustain a strong Triad and meet deterrence and hedging requirements within a limit of 700 deployed ICBMs, SLBMs, and nuclear-capable heavy bombers.