Press TV - A senior US commander has said nuclear weaponry is needed by the country for the rest of the century and that the US should even seek more.

Commander of US strategic forces Kevin Chilton claimed Wednesday nuclear armament would function as a 'deterrent', AFP reported.

Chilton added that the country was in need of pursuing even further modernized arms of the type.

He went on to justify the claim, saying that more dependable nuclear weapons could help the United States shrink the cache of weapons which it keeps in store.

The administration has requested 10 million dollars for the program in its 2009 budget request even though the US Congress turned down a similar request in its previous budget submission.

It also is seeking 100 million dollars for a plant to make nuclear triggers for the new weapon.

The remarks come as the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty has necessitated the country to diminish its stockpile to zero.

The United States currently has about 6,000 deployed nuclear warheads but is required to come down to 2,200 by 2012 under the 2002 Moscow Treaty.

... Payvand News - 03/07/08 ... --