Analysis / Next Gen CommunityThe Climate Strain on the Nuclear Security EnterpriseByNext Generation AuthorPublished Jul 17, 2025This piece, the first in a two-part series on the nexus of climate change and nuclear security, will examine the impacts of climate change on the NSE, and highlight a handful of circumstances that would undermine the U.S. nuclear deterrent. The second piece will examine the cascading implications that this poses on the risk reduction and nonproliferation regimes.
Analysis / Next Gen CommunityWhat does the American public think about US nuclear weapons policy?ByKaitlin PeachPublished Jul 10, 2025Kaitlin Peach discusses trends in American public opinion on nuclear programs spending and arms control treaties.
Analysis / Next Gen CommunityAI at the Nexus of Nuclear Deterrence: Enhancing Left of Launch OperationsBySalman AsgharPublished May 23, 2025Artificial intelligence (AI) can enhance “left of launch” operations—preemptive strategies aimed at neutralizing missile threats before launch—by improving real-time data analysis, threat detection, and decision-making. While AI offers strategic advantages in missile defense and deterrence, it also introduces significant risks related to miscalculation and escalation, necessitating a cautious and balanced integration into nuclear strategies.
Analysis / Next Gen CommunityHow a Second Trump Term Could Shape U.S. Nuclear Posture in Europe and the Indo-Pacific ByMariam KvaratskheliaPublished Apr 10, 2025The early days of Trump’s second term have been marked by statements signaling a departure from his first-term nuclear doctrine—but geopolitical realities in two key theaters and potential congressional pushback are likely to limit the extent of that pivot.
Analysis / CommentaryWhy Does the United States Need a More Flexible Nuclear Force?ByHeather Williams and Lachlan MackenziePublished Apr 9, 2025Deterrence is emerging as a theme for Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, but questions remain about the Trump administration’s ability to deliver and maintain the nation’s nuclear deterrent.
Analysis / Next Gen CommunityThe GIUK Gap: A New Age of A2/AD in Contested Strategic Maritime Spaces ByShane WardPublished Sep 12, 2024The global strategic environment is ripe for technology-driven great power competition once more. Russia’s war in Ukraine and pursuit of novel nuclear weapon delivery vehicles, coupled with China’s expanding nuclear arsenal and capabilities, mean the United States must assess its capabilities and posture in more theaters simultaneously than ever before. Among them, contested maritime spaces…
Analysis / CommentarySix Days in October: Russia’s Dirty Bomb Signaling and the Return of Nuclear CrisesByLachlan MackenziePublished Sep 4, 2024In fall 2022, confronted by intensifying Russian nuclear rhetoric and intercepted conversations about nuclear use in the Russian military, the United States faced what may have been its most dangerous nuclear crisis in decades.
Analysis / CommentaryWhy Did China and Russia Stage a Joint Bomber Exercise near Alaska?ByHeather Williams, Kari A. Bingen and Lachlan MackenziePublished Jul 31, 2024On July 24, the North American Aerospace Defense Command intercepted two Chinese and two Russian bombers flying near Alaska. This incident was the first of its kind and could signal a growing willingness on the part of Beijing and Moscow to test American resolve.
Analysis / Next Gen CommunityRedefining the Nuclear Equation: Modernization and Strategic Wisdom in India-China DynamicsByAnkit KPublished Feb 19, 2024Given the intricate interconnection of modern geopolitics, emerging technology and changing military strategy, a longstanding assumption about numerical superiority being an effective deterrent can prove to be obsolete in the context of nuclear dynamics between India and China.
Analysis / Next Gen CommunityRussia’s New Nuclear Weapons: Understanding Avangard, Kinzhal, and TsirkonByAkshai VikramPublished Aug 2, 2021The primary driver of Russia’s hypersonic build-up seems to be missile defense. President Putin said the development of these weapons was directly caused by the U.S. withdrawal from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty in 2002.