Commander of the U.S. Strategic Command Air Force Gen. John Hyten (R) testify during a hearing before House Armed Services Committee. Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images
General John Hyten, head of U.S. Strategic Command, has delivered a classified report overhauling nuclear communications for President Trump that offer "specific new details of top Pentagon leaders' views on nuclear weapons," to Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, CNN's Barbara Starr reports.
Why it matters: Starr details the "changes are critical in the wake of months of tensions with North Korea and uncertainty about Russian intentions. Including conventional military options — such as cyber or missile defense — gives a President specific options in a crisis for de-escalation, something Hyten continues to advocate."
The details: A major change "will be that Hyten will now be the sole senior officer responsible" for Nuclear Command, Control, and Communication Systems, (NC3.) The report detailed "a new method ordered by Mattis on how the [NC3], which allows a US president and top military commanders to communicate with military forces in a nuclear event, will work in the future," Starr explains. The changes will not directly impact launch procedures, but instead but an emphasis on ensuring the readiness and security of the system.