Strategic Forces Priorities: A Conversation with Senator Deb Fischer | HTK

Why It Matters

Accelerated modernization and broader arms‑control frameworks are essential to maintain U.S. deterrence against a rapidly advancing China‑Russia threat and to prevent nuclear proliferation in Iran.

Key Takeaways

• Senator Fischer backs Operation Epic Fury to halt Iran's nuclear enrichment.
• US missile defenses face depletion; FY27 budget needed for rapid replenishment.
• China and Russia accelerating nuclear triad modernization, outpacing US 2010 framework.
• New START limits bind US; push to include China in arms control.
• Senate focuses on Sentinel ICBM, B‑21 bomber, and NC3 upgrades for deterrence.

Summary

The HTK episode featured Senator Deb Fischer, chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee’s Strategic Forces Subcommittee, discussing the United States’ strategic forces agenda. Fischer emphasized support for Operation Epic Fury, aimed at curbing Iran’s nuclear enrichment and missile capabilities, and highlighted the broader need to counter a “dangerous world” reminiscent of the post‑World War II era. Key points included the strain on U.S. missile‑defense interceptors after recent operations, prompting a call for a robust FY27 budget to replenish assets and accelerate deliveries to allies. Fischer warned that China and Russia are rapidly modernizing their nuclear triads—building new silos, submarines, and bombers—while the U.S. still operates under a 2010 strategic framework. She also critiqued the New START treaty for constraining only the United States and urged the inclusion of China in any future arms‑control agreements. Notable remarks underscored the urgency: Admiral Carell’s assertion that “a nation that builds is a nation that wins,” and Fischer’s description of Iran’s missile range to Diego Garcia as a direct threat to Europe and the United States. The discussion also highlighted Senate priorities such as the Sentinel ICBM program, expanding the B‑21 bomber fleet beyond the current 145 aircraft, and modernizing NC3 command‑and‑control systems. The implications are clear: Congress must fund and fast‑track modernization of the nuclear triad, address missile‑defense shortfalls, and reshape arms‑control strategy to involve China. Failure to act could erode deterrence credibility, strain allied confidence, and give adversaries a strategic edge.

Original Description

For the first time, the CSIS Defense and Security Department’s HTK Series welcomes a featured guest, Senator Deb Fischer (R-NE), to discuss the most consequential issues defining the future of U.S. strategic forces and her priorities as Chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee’s Strategic Forces subcommittee.

What is fundamentally different about today’s strategic threat environment and how is it reshaping U.S. approaches to deterrence and our nuclear forces?

What should we take away from recent conflicts—from Ukraine to Operation Midnight Hammer and Epic Fury—about the evolving roles of strategic air power, air and missile defense, and space and cyber capabilities in future warfare?

Where are the greatest pressures on resources and priorities across nuclear modernization, emerging technologies, and expanding missions such as missile defense and space control?

To explore these questions and more, join Kari Bingen, director of the CSIS Aerospace Security Project, Heather Williams, director of the CSIS Project on Nuclear Issues, and Tom Karako, director of the CSIS Missile Defense Project, as they sit down with Senator Fischer for an HTK Series conversation on the future of U.S. strategic forces.

This event is made possible by general support to CSIS.

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