NATO Chief Stoltenberg: US Nuclear Arsenal 'As Relevant as Ever'

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said during a visit to Strategic Command on Friday that the US nuclear arsenal remains as relevant as ever as nuclear proliferation threats evolve, the NATO press office said in a statement.

"Stoltenberg stressed that the US nuclear forces overseen by STRATCOM are the 'supreme guarantee' of credible deterrence and Allies’ security," the release said on Friday. "Noting that he had first visited the Command in 1980, the Secretary General said that many thought this headquarters would become less important after the Cold War; but that in the face of evolving threats like nuclear proliferation, it remains as relevant as ever."

Aside from visiting STRATCOM in the US state of Nebraska, Stoltenberg also visited the 80th Flying Training Wing at Sheppard Air Force Base in the US state of Texas, meeting participants in the Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training Program, the release said.

Later on Friday, Stoltenberg and Canadian Defense Minister Harjit Sajjan visited the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and US Northern Command (NORTHCOM) at Peterson Air Force Base in the US state of Colorado.

Stoltenberg began a two-day visit to the United States on Thursday, where he kicked off the visit with a town hall event at the Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, delivering remarks and taking questions from students.