Analysis / CommentaryUpdating Nuclear Command, Control, and CommunicationByHeather WilliamsPublished Jan 3, 2025Nuclear command and control will be an essential piece of nuclear modernization plans. To confront two-peer competition, the United States should stay apace with modernization plans and will require constant innovation.
Analysis / CommentaryEscalation as a Path to Peace: Risk Tolerance and Negotiations in UkraineByLachlan MackenziePublished Jan 3, 2025The incoming President Donald Trump has made achieving a rapid, negotiated settlement to the war in Ukraine a cornerstone of his foreign policy agenda. It is not clear, however, that the Kremlin sees a need to offer concessions.
Analysis / CommentaryWhat Does India’s Hypersonic Missile Test Mean?ByDiya AshtakalaPublished Jan 3, 2025On December 16, India announced the test of its first long-range hypersonic missile. This missile makes India one of the few nuclear-armed countries to possess this technology, highlighting the intensifying global race for hypersonic technology.
Analysis / CommentaryReviving Chemical Weapons Accountability in a Multipolar WorldByDoreen Horschig and Natasha HallPublished Nov 25, 2024Next week’s 29th Session of the Conference of States Parties of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons is an opportunity to revitalize accountability and global cooperation in an age of impunity.
Analysis / CommentaryWhy Striking Iranian Nuclear Facilities Is a Bad IdeaByDoreen HorschigPublished Oct 31, 2024Israeli military strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities could escalate tensions and push Tehran further towards nuclear weapons development. Diplomacy, although slow, remains the only viable way to curb Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
Analysis / CommentaryWhy Russia Is Changing Its Nuclear Doctrine NowByHeather WilliamsPublished Sep 27, 2024Putin’s changes Russia’s nuclear doctrine show increased reliance on nuclear weapons for coercion in the Ukraine War. By expanding nuclear use conditions, Russia aims to deter Western aid and divide European allies, signaling a greater willingness to escalate.
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 / CommentaryA New Nuclear Age?ByReja YounisPublished Aug 20, 2024As the United States enters a “new nuclear age,” the Pentagon’s approach is based on three assumptions: coordinated adversarial behavior, limited nuclear employment, and the failure of arms control. Despite some evidence, none should be considered forgone conclusions.
Analysis / CommentaryHow Are Cyberattacks Fueling North Korea’s Nuclear Ambitions?ByDoreen HorschigPublished Aug 2, 2024After a two-year investigation, Google’s cybersecurity firm Mandiant accused North Korean hacker group Advanced Persistent Threat 45 (APT45, or Andariel) of engaging in a global cyber espionage campaign since 2009. The group attacked a variety of sectors (e.g., banks, defense firms, and hospitals) and targeted nation-states such as India, South Korea, and the United States on the…
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.