Photo credit: Scientific American Just as many dismissed the possibility of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February, academics continue to assert a low probability that Russia will employ nuclear weapons in Ukraine. To be sure, there are many disincentives: the risk of escalation with the US and NATO; the likelihood of being isolated from … Continue reading The Road to Tactical Nuclear Weapons: Re-examining Russia’s Theory of Victory and Prospects for Deterrence
Category: Nuclear & Unconventional Weapons
Nuclear Disarmament: Why Reaching for Zero Makes Sense
India's Brahmos missile, which was developed jointly with Russia, on display in 2018. Photo Credit: Politico, Arun Sankar/AFP/Getty Images Nuclear weapons have dominated U.S. security strategy for decades. The overwhelming power of these weapons has captivated the minds of U.S. scholars, strategists, and policymakers alike. However, this fascination with complete annihilation has created an impenetrable bubble around … Continue reading Nuclear Disarmament: Why Reaching for Zero Makes Sense
Arms for Oil: How North Korea and Iran Facilitate Each Other’s Security Strategies
North Korea launches a short-range missile, July 26, 2019. Photo Credit: BBC The Islamic Republic of Iran and the Democratic Republic of Korea (DPRK) have established a relationship that serves both of their security strategies. Their cooperation is a functional means to withstand their mutual economic isolation as well as a threatening move against their … Continue reading Arms for Oil: How North Korea and Iran Facilitate Each Other’s Security Strategies
A Nuclear (em)Powered Middle East: Why the United States Cannot Afford a Counterterror Only Approach to the Region
The Barakah nuclear power plant in United Arab Emirates is seen in an undated photo released by the state-run WAM news agency. Photo Credit: Arun Girija/Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation/WAM/AP By: Taylor Clausen, Columnist The most recent National Security Strategy and National Defense Strategy heralded the return of great power competition. Before the documents’ release, Elbridge … Continue reading A Nuclear (em)Powered Middle East: Why the United States Cannot Afford a Counterterror Only Approach to the Region
The Crumbling of Arms Control and the Premise of “Equal Security”
U.S. President, Ronald Reagan and Soviet General Secretary, Mikhail Gorbachev signed the treaty on 8 December 1987. Photo Credit: AP Photo/Bob Daugherty By: Krystel Von Kumberg The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty signed in 1987 by US President Ronald Reagan and Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev, eliminating intermediate-range and shorter-range missiles, is being erased. [i] Leaving the … Continue reading The Crumbling of Arms Control and the Premise of “Equal Security”
Could Pakistan Provoke a Nuclear War?
The U.S. should prioritize Pakistan as a nuclear threat as the country's' nuclear arsenal continues to rapidly grow as a deterrent from India aggression while Pakistani affiliated terrorist organizations raise the chances of a conflict. Photo Credit: Reuters. By: Adrienne Thompson, Columnist Pakistan's nuclear arsenal remains exposed to terrorist organizations holding anti-western sentiments as Pakistan's … Continue reading Could Pakistan Provoke a Nuclear War?
Biosecurity and the National Security Community
Laboratory researcher using a light microscope to examine stem cells in a culture jar. At right are a pipette, samples and DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) helix to illustrate genetic editing and research. Photo Credit: SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY via AP Images. By: Roxanne Heston, Columnist Biosecurity is the field working to mitigate the risks of natural pandemics, … Continue reading Biosecurity and the National Security Community
Diplomatic Spillover Costs Make Leaving the INF Treaty Too Dangerous
Photo Credit: CNN By: Kathryn Long, Columnist On Friday, December 14th, the Russian Mission to the United Nations announced that it had submitted a resolution to the body’s General Assembly in support of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty.[i] This follows the October announcement by President Trump that the United States would be exiting the … Continue reading Diplomatic Spillover Costs Make Leaving the INF Treaty Too Dangerous
The Best Defense is a Good Offense: Analyzing China’s Nuclear Weapons Program
Chair for the foreign affairs committee of China's National People's Congress Fu Ying speaks at the Munich Security Conference. Photo Credit: EPA By: Nick Impson When the US Department of Defense released its Nuclear Posture Review (NPR) in February of 2018, China immediately criticized the U.S. focus on developing additional tactical nuclear weapons. In a … Continue reading The Best Defense is a Good Offense: Analyzing China’s Nuclear Weapons Program
Getting the Most Out of Drones Requires Coherent Policy
Graffiti in Yemen. Photo Credit: CNN By: Kathryn Long, Columnist During the Obama administration, drone strikes, or the use of unmanned aerial vehicles to attack ground targets, became a crucial tool in US counterterrorism strategy.[i] Unmanned aerial vehicles have been in use since the 1980s, but it was not until shortly after the September 11 … Continue reading Getting the Most Out of Drones Requires Coherent Policy