AP: Pentagon drafts plans for cuts in U.S. nuclear arsenal

The Associated Press, citing two unnamed sources, reports that Pentagon has drafted several options for cutting U.S. nuclear weapons. The plans has not yet been presented to President Obama.

Update at 4:05 p.m. ET: USA TODAY White House correspondent David Jackson sought comment from National Security Council spokesman Tommy Vietor. In an e-mail, Vietor calls the Associated Press report "wildly overwritten" and offesr what it was told on the record:

"The Nuclear Posture Review (NPR) outlined five key objectives of our nuclear weapons policies and postures: preventing nuclear proliferation and nuclear terrorism; reducing the role of U.S. nuclear weapons in U.S. national security strategy; maintaining strategy deterrence and stability at reduced nuclear force levels; strengthening regional deterrence and reassuring U.S. allies and partners; and sustaining a safe, secure and effective nuclear arsenal. As part of the NPR Implementation study, DOD used a range of policy criteria to develop options for the Presidential guidance that will be used to develop force structure, force postures and stockpile requirements. The implementation study is still underway and the Department of Defense has not yet presented the study to the President."

The report comes ahead of a nuclear summit in South Korea in late March that Obama will attend.

Original post: The Obama administration is considering deep cuts in the U.S. nuclear arsenal, including one option to slash deployed weapons by 80%, the Associated Press is reporting.

AP, citing "a former U.S. official and a congressional official," says the administration is debating at least three options to bring the U.S. stockpile down to somewhere between 1,100 and 300. The current treaty allows 1,550.

When he came to office in 2009, President Obama pledged to try to eliminate nuclear weapons.

The Arms Control Association offers background and perspectives on "The Future of the U.S. Nuclear Arsenal and the Budget."

Update at 3:36 p.m. ET: A spokesman for the National Security Council tells AP the options, developed by the Pentagon, have not yet been presented to Obama.

The Pentagon's press secretary said the president had asked for several "alternative approaches" to nuclear deterrence, but he would not comment on specific force level options because they are classified, AP adds.

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