Pentagon leaders are maintaining a 2020 policy allowing for the use of anti-personnel landmines beyond the confines of the Korean peninsula, while reviewing why former Defense Secretary Mark Esper made the decisions he did regarding the policy.

The Department of Defense’s (DoD’s) new policy ‘analysis’ comes at a time when the US Army is ploughing ahead with a multipronged approach to acquiring such new weapons, with pressure increasing on the Biden administration to reverse course. As a result, on 6 April the DoD offered up differing takes on its landmine policy. Earlier in the day, department spokesman Mike Howard emailed reporters that the policy “remains unchanged” since January 2020.

“The changes implemented, then addressed how we face an era of strategic competition that requires our military to become more lethal, resilient, and ready for future contingencies,” Howard wrote. “Landmines, including anti-personnel landmines, remain a vital tool in conventional warfare that the US military cannot responsibly forgo, particularly when faced with substantial and potentially overwhelming enemy forces in the early stages of combat.”

He added that these weapons enable ground troops to “shape an enemy’s movement to our benefit” and “withholding” these capabilities “irresponsibly risks American lives”.

Pentagon leaders are maintaining a 2020 policy allowing for the use of anti-personnel landmines beyond the confines of the Korean peninsula, while reviewing why former Defense Secretary Mark Esper made the decisions he did regarding the policy.

The Department of Defense’s (DoD’s) new policy ‘analysis’ comes at a time when the US Army is ploughing ahead with a multipronged approach to acquiring such new weapons, with pressure increasing on the Biden administration to reverse course. As a result, on 6 April the DoD offered up differing takes on its landmine policy. Earlier in the day, department spokesman Mike Howard emailed reporters that the policy “remains unchanged” since January 2020.

“The changes implemented, then addressed how we face an era of strategic competition that requires our military to become more lethal, resilient, and ready for future contingencies,” Howard wrote. “Landmines, including anti-personnel landmines, remain a vital tool in conventional warfare that the US military cannot responsibly forgo, particularly when faced with substantial and potentially overwhelming enemy forces in the early stages of combat.”

He added that these weapons enable ground troops to “shape an enemy’s movement to our benefit” and “withholding” these capabilities “irresponsibly risks American lives”.

Pentagon leaders are maintaining a 2020 policy allowing for the use of anti-personnel landmines beyond the confines of the Korean peninsula, while reviewing why former Defense Secretary Mark Esper made the decisions he did regarding the policy.

The Department of Defense’s (DoD’s) new policy ‘analysis’ comes at a time when the US Army is ploughing ahead with a multipronged approach to acquiring such new weapons, with pressure increasing on the Biden administration to reverse course. As a result, on 6 April the DoD offered up differing takes on its landmine policy. Earlier in the day, department spokesman Mike Howard emailed reporters that the policy “remains unchanged” since January 2020.

“The changes implemented, then addressed how we face an era of strategic competition that requires our military to become more lethal, resilient, and ready for future contingencies,” Howard wrote. “Landmines, including anti-personnel landmines, remain a vital tool in conventional warfare that the US military cannot responsibly forgo, particularly when faced with substantial and potentially overwhelming enemy forces in the early stages of combat.”

He added that these weapons enable ground troops to “shape an enemy’s movement to our benefit” and “withholding” these capabilities “irresponsibly risks American lives”.

Pentagon leaders are maintaining a 2020 policy allowing for the use of anti-personnel landmines beyond the confines of the Korean peninsula, while reviewing why former Defense Secretary Mark Esper made the decisions he did regarding the policy.

The Department of Defense’s (DoD’s) new policy ‘analysis’ comes at a time when the US Army is ploughing ahead with a multipronged approach to acquiring such new weapons, with pressure increasing on the Biden administration to reverse course. As a result, on 6 April the DoD offered up differing takes on its landmine policy. Earlier in the day, department spokesman Mike Howard emailed reporters that the policy “remains unchanged” since January 2020.

“The changes implemented, then addressed how we face an era of strategic competition that requires our military to become more lethal, resilient, and ready for future contingencies,” Howard wrote. “Landmines, including anti-personnel landmines, remain a vital tool in conventional warfare that the US military cannot responsibly forgo, particularly when faced with substantial and potentially overwhelming enemy forces in the early stages of combat.”

He added that these weapons enable ground troops to “shape an enemy’s movement to our benefit” and “withholding” these capabilities “irresponsibly risks American lives”.

Pentagon leaders are maintaining a 2020 policy allowing for the use of anti-personnel landmines beyond the confines of the Korean peninsula, while reviewing why former Defense Secretary Mark Esper made the decisions he did regarding the policy.

The Department of Defense’s (DoD’s) new policy ‘analysis’ comes at a time when the US Army is ploughing ahead with a multipronged approach to acquiring such new weapons, with pressure increasing on the Biden administration to reverse course. As a result, on 6 April the DoD offered up differing takes on its landmine policy. Earlier in the day, department spokesman Mike Howard emailed reporters that the policy “remains unchanged” since January 2020.

“The changes implemented, then addressed how we face an era of strategic competition that requires our military to become more lethal, resilient, and ready for future contingencies,” Howard wrote. “Landmines, including anti-personnel landmines, remain a vital tool in conventional warfare that the US military cannot responsibly forgo, particularly when faced with substantial and potentially overwhelming enemy forces in the early stages of combat.”

He added that these weapons enable ground troops to “shape an enemy’s movement to our benefit” and “withholding” these capabilities “irresponsibly risks American lives”.

Pentagon leaders are maintaining a 2020 policy allowing for the use of anti-personnel landmines beyond the confines of the Korean peninsula, while reviewing why former Defense Secretary Mark Esper made the decisions he did regarding the policy.

The Department of Defense’s (DoD’s) new policy ‘analysis’ comes at a time when the US Army is ploughing ahead with a multipronged approach to acquiring such new weapons, with pressure increasing on the Biden administration to reverse course. As a result, on 6 April the DoD offered up differing takes on its landmine policy. Earlier in the day, department spokesman Mike Howard emailed reporters that the policy “remains unchanged” since January 2020.

“The changes implemented, then addressed how we face an era of strategic competition that requires our military to become more lethal, resilient, and ready for future contingencies,” Howard wrote. “Landmines, including anti-personnel landmines, remain a vital tool in conventional warfare that the US military cannot responsibly forgo, particularly when faced with substantial and potentially overwhelming enemy forces in the early stages of combat.”

He added that these weapons enable ground troops to “shape an enemy’s movement to our benefit” and “withholding” these capabilities “irresponsibly risks American lives”.