---
title: "The Pentagon Just Simulated a Nuclear War With Russia"
description: "The Pentagon performed a training exercise last week in which it simulated a nuclear exchange with Russia, according to National Defense Magazine."
date: "2020-02-24"
modified: "2020-02-24"
authors:
  - name: "Jon Christian"
    job_title: "Executive Editor"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/jonc"
url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/pentagon-simulated-nuclear-war-russia"
categories:
  - "Future Society"
tags:
  - "nuclear war"
  - "nuclear weapons"
  - "Russia"
  - "the digest"
---

# The Pentagon Just Simulated a Nuclear War With Russia

![The Pentagon performed a training exercise last week in which it simulated a nuclear exchange with Russia, according to National Defense Magazine.](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/the-pentagon-just-simulated-a-nuclear-war-with-russia.jpg>)
*\<em\>Image: NeedPix/Victor Tangermann\</em\>*

## War Games

The Pentagon performed a training exercise last week in which it simulated a nuclear exchange with Russia, according to *National Defense Magazine**.*

"They attacked us with a low-yield nuclear \[warhead\], and in the course of the exercise we simulated responding with a nuclear weapon," an official [told the magazine](<https://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/articles/2020/2/21/us-nukes-russia-in-simulation-exercise>) under condition of anonymity.

## Simulated Conflict

It's common for the Pentagon to walk through simulated conflicts in order to fine-tune its official response, according to *National* *Defense* — but it's unusual to publicize the simulations.

And this particular exercise sounds important, with [*Defense One* corroborating](<https://www.defenseone.com/politics/2020/02/esper-plays-nuclear-war-russia-nukes-europe-us-fires-back/163268/>) *National Defense*'s claim that U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper personally took part.

## Trump Card

*National Defense* contextualized the exercise as part of the Trump administration's efforts to modernize the military's nuclear stockpile and, chillingly, prepare to use it.

"The other side is building their nuclear weapons up, modernizing their stockpiles, and so this \[U.S. modernization effort\] is just a sensible response to that," the anonymous official said.

**READ MORE:** [BREAKING: U.S. Nukes Russia in Simulation Exercise](<https://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/articles/2020/2/21/us-nukes-russia-in-simulation-exercise>) \[*NPR*\]

**More on nuclear war:** [*This Video Shows Horrifying Devastation of US-Russia Nuclear War*](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/video-horrifying-devastation-us-russia-nuclear-war>)

## Author
I'm responsible for editing, assigning, and scouting at Futurism, as well as occasionally writing for the site. That work involves keeping an eye on a wide range of narratives and issues, but over the past few years I've become increasingly interested in how AI is shaping the future of media, the web, and information itself. My day-to-day often involves collaborating on reporting and commentary projects bylined by my colleagues, but I try to find time to do my own reporting as well; stories I've broken for Futurism have been cited by publications including the New York Times, the Washington Post, the New Yorker, Wired, Ars Technica, New York Magazine, the Columbia Journalism Review, Bloomberg, and more. I grew up in Southern Vermont and attended Vanderbilt University. Prior to Futurism, I contributed to outlets including the Boston Globe, Vice, Wired, Slate, the Atlantic, the Outline, Ars Technica and more, and did stints in farming and food service. I currently live in Brooklyn, New York, and in my free time I enjoy pinball, word games, cycling, running, and music production.

### Author social links  
[Bluesky](<https://bsky.app/profile/jonchristian.net>)