A recent report from the Brookings Institution raises concerns that increasing the U.S. nuclear arsenal might actually raise the risk of nuclear crises. The report, written by Brookings senior fellow Melanie W. Sisson, questions the idea that the U.S. should grow its nuclear stockpile in response to China's expanding nuclear capabilities. For many years, the U.S. has maintained a nuclear arsenal of around 5,000 warheads, which is considered enough to deter adversaries by ensuring that any nuclear attack would lead to massive retaliation. This concept, known as mutually assured destruction, depends on both sides having the ability to respond effectively to a nuclear strike. Some experts have recently worried that the U.S. might not have enough nuclear weapons to deter both China and Russia at the same time. The Brookings report looks at past nuclear tensions, such as the Cuban Missile Crisis, confrontations with North Korea, and Russia's nuclear threats in Ukraine, to examine how often nuclear crises occur. It found that such crises were more frequent when one side had a clear nuclear advantage, often the U.S., and less common when the U.S. and its nuclear rival had roughly equal capabilities. Other factors, like how warheads are deployed or specific nuclear policies, did not consistently affect the number of crises. According to the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, the U.S. has about 5,000 warheads, while Russia has slightly fewer than 5,500, and China currently has around 600. Although China is working to build up its nuclear forces, the report states that the U.S. would still be able to retaliate effectively even if China and Russia joined forces against the U.S. This finding has important consequences for how the U.S. approaches its national defense. Sisson suggests that instead of spending large sums to increase the number of nuclear weapons, the U.S. should focus on making its existing arsenal more resilient and survivable. This includes improving the capabilities of its nuclear submarines and protecting its nuclear command and control systems from advanced cyber threats, such as those potentially enabled by artificial intelligence. These systems are crucial for ensuring the U.S. can respond effectively to an attack, even in the face of sophisticated cyberattacks that might disrupt its nuclear capabilities.