Non-Strategic Nuclear Weapons
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This new FAS Special Report comes three weeks before 28 NATO member countries convene in Chicago on May 20-21 to approve the conclusions of a year-long Deterrence and Defense Posture Review (DDPR). Among other issues, the review will determine the number and role of the U.S. non-strategic nuclear weapons deployed in Europe and how NATO might work to reduce its nuclear posture as well as Russia's inventory of such weapons in the future.
Lack of transparency fuels mistrust and worst-case assumptions and the concerns some eastern NATO countries have about Russia have been used to prevent a withdrawal of the remaining U.S. nuclear weapons from Europe. The DDPR is expected to endorse the current deployment in Europe.
The report concludes that non-strategic nuclear weapons are neither the reason nor the solution for Europe's security issues today but that lack of political leadership has allowed bureaucrats to give these weapons a legitimacy they don't possess and shouldn't have.
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Resources: BIOS- From FAS.org- Defense Department Nuclear Doctrine and Policy
Congressional Research Service Reports: U.S. Strategic Nuclear Forces: Background, Developments, and Issues U.S. Nuclear Weapons: Changes in Policy and Force Structure Nuclear Arms Control: The Strategic Offensive Reductions Treaty Nuclear Weapons in Russia: Safety, Security, and Control Issues Nuclear Weapons and U.S. National Security: A need for New Weapons Programs?
Other Resources: Nuclear Posture Review Report April 2010 (U.S. Department of Defense) The Future of Russia’s Strategic Nuclear Forces Discussions and Arguments (Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology) Nuclear Deterrence Skills (U.S. Department of Defense) Nuclear Posture Review Hearing (U.S. Senate Committee on Armed Services) |
The Report: Non-Strategic Nuclear Weapons
Events: 2012 May 2: 10:00 am Breakfast Briefing for reporters at the Federation of American Scientists 2012 May 3: 2:00 pm Briefing on Capitol Hill - Russell Senate Office Building Speakers:
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