Former U.S. Commander: America Should Phase Out Land-Based Nuclear Missiles

During the Cold War, the United States developed a vast nuclear arsenal with weapons on aircraft, submarines and land-based missiles. These three ways of delivering nuclear weapons became known as the triad, with the Soviet Union was the primary target.

The strategy was to deter an attack on the United States by having enough nuclear weapons that could survive a strike and retaliate.

The former military commander of America's nuclear forces, Gen. James Cartwright (Ret.) says U.S. intercontinental ballistic missiles should be phased out. The four star general says the missiles are in fixed, known locations and because they could be destroyed in an attack, the President would have to decide quickly whether to use them or lose them.