Ed MarkeyVerified account

@SenMarkey @ScottYundt It also makes no sense to maintain and enhance a weapon system that exists to prevent its own use.

@fightdapower @SenMarkey Please name one US general or admiral who would willingly trade our nuclear arsenal for Russia's. Take your time.

@fightdapower @SenMarkey China has ~250 warheads, none on alert. We have ~7,100, 1,600 of which are ready to fly 24/7. 1/3

@fightdapower @SenMarkey China has 248 ballistic missiles, we have 738. China has 17.8 metric tons (MT) of HEU and Pu, we have 691 MT. 2/3

@fightdapower @SenMarkey So in what sense is China's nuclear arsenal in any conceivable way "#1 on the planet"? 3/3

@fightdapower If you're referring to Philip Karber's 2011 study, both he and it have been discredited (e.g., http://foreignpolicy.com/2015/02/19/say-it-aint-so-phil-ukraine-russia-open-source-analysis/ …). 1/2

@fightdapower We keep all our ICBMs on alert (can launch w/in ~4 mins) precisely to avoid destruction in first strike. Same for subs at sea.