The U.S. military manages a worldwide presence with hundreds
of bases and 1.4 million troops stationed across the globe. 300,000 troops are
stationed on foreign soil and 100,000 sailors and marines are afloat on the 287 navy ships sailing
the high seas, including 10 Nimitz Class and 1 Enterprise Class aircraft
carrier groups, 18 Ohio Class ballistic/guided missile submarines and 15,000
aircraft.
The US maintains an active inventory of 5,000 thermonuclear multi-stage
fusion dial-a-yield bombs and warheads capable of producing 100 kiloton to 10 megaton
explosions. The US has an inactive stockpile of another 5,000 warheads in
various stages of disassembly. In 2012
the US active inventory of delivery vehicles included 500 ICBMS, 113 strategic
bombers and 18 ballistic/guided missile submarines capable of delivering
strategic nuclear warheads anywhere in the world. The 450 air launched cruise missiles round out
the nuclear inventory. The Russians have
a similar inventory of 5,000 active H-bombs and 5,000 more being
dismantled.
The 10,000 active warhead total is just 1/7th of
what was available at the height of the Cold War. This represents the result of
decades of strategic arms treaties including SALT I & II, START I & II,
SORT and new START. The 2011 new START
treaty allows only 1,550 warheads to be “deployed” by each country however the
inactive stockpile is not limited.
The rest of the world (U.K., France, China, Israel, India,
Pakistan and North Korea) has a total of one thousand more warheads; however outside
of NATO many of these are much smaller fission devices (10-50 kiloton) with
limited delivery capability. The Nuclear non-Proliferation Treaty signed by 190
parties worldwide (N Korea signed and withdrew, India, Pakistan and Israel
refused to sign) is a world wide effort to limit and reduce the number of
nuclear weapons.
It is estimated 10-20 detonations is all that would be
needed to end continuity of government and the economic system in the US. The
US still operates the largest Chemical and Biological warfare capabilities in
the world although all nations have been actively dismantling these WMD’s.
The US is the only nation capable of projecting significant
conventional military forces anywhere in the world. Several NATO members, U.K.
and France have limited force projection ability. Other powers like China,
India, and Russia have limited regional force projection capabilities. Most nations’
armies are only capable of defense and internal security.
Technical surveillance and spying are extended by agencies
of the US government everywhere. Diplomatic pressure and foreign aid are
applied by the State department.
Southwest Asia and North Africa with their wars, unrest, and
oil wealth get special attention. However East Asia (Korea, China, Japan),
Central and South America (drug war), Russia (nuclear stockpile), Europe (NATO),
the open seas and even low Earth orbit all have significant US military
presence.
The
US spends more on its military and security apparatus than all the rest of the
world combined. We spend a larger percent of our GDP on security than any other
OECD nation except Israel. Civilian
control over the military is the law but the reality is that the military and
its corporate lobbies exert pressure on the civilian authorities to protect
their turf and $300B/yr. in defense contracts. Critics
claim US foreign policy is a form of Imperialism. Advocates for increased
military spending make note of the resurgence of a 1,000 year conflict with
Islam and other threats like North Korea.