Updated: 10/26/2008 9:50:19 AM
Some military leaders think the mighty U.S. arsenal of nuclear weapons is declining in power and purpose.
Defense Secretary Robert Gates wants the next president to think about what nuclear middle-age and decline means for national security. Gates joins a growing debate about the reliability and future credibility of the American arsenal.
Gates is expected to call for increased commitment to preserving the deterrent value of atomic weapons.
The stockpile now serves mainly to make any other nation think twice about developing or using even a crude nuclear device of its own. But at the same time, international efforts to contain the spread of such weapons look ineffective.
The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Mike Mullen, says the United States is overdue to retool its nuclear strategy.
