Analysis / Next Gen CommunityLatin America Has Offered a Response to Nuclear Uncertainty since 55 Years AgoByLuis RodriguezPublished May 17, 2022This year marks the 55th anniversary of the treaty institutionalizing the first nuclear-weapon-free zone (NWFZ) in a densely populated area. The Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in Latin America and the Caribbean, commonly known as the Treaty of Tlatelolco, opened for signatures on February 14, 1967. It entered into force on April 22,…
Analysis / Commentary, Next Gen CommunityPyongyang’s momentum: Moving its nuclear weapons and missile programs forward ByElisabeth I-Mi SuhPublished Apr 4, 2022Despite economic hardships and total isolation, Pyongyang continues developing and modernizing its nuclear weapons program by expanding its capacity to produce fissile materials and grow its materials stockpile, as well as boosting the diversity of its short- to theatre-range delivery systems, and pursuing its newest ICBM.
Analysis / Commentary, Next Gen CommunityNon-Linear, Unpredictable, and Dangerous Crisis-Escalation in South AsiaBySyed Ali Zia JafferyPublished Jan 7, 2022The advent of disruptive technologies and increasing potency of the information landscape is likely to alter the hierarchy of escalation and add to the complexity of the strategic milieu in South Asia.
Analysis / Next Gen CommunityRussia’s New Nuclear Weapons: Responding To The ProblemByAkshai VikramPublished Sep 27, 2021While terrifying in their own right, the Russian hypersonic systems discussed here only underscore the threat of nuclear conflict – a threat that has existed for decades. They exacerbate existing dangers, sometimes in intriguing ways, but do not fundamentally reshape the seemingly always perilous U.S.-Russian strategic relationship.
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.
Analysis / Next Gen CommunityLessons from a Real-Life Insider: The Case of Leonid SmirnoByNoelle CampPublished Jun 30, 2021In the Smirnov case, the irretrievable loss limit for the facility was set unusually high at 3% of the facility’s nuclear material. In total, Smirnov siphoned off 1.5 kg of HEU, representing only 1% of the facility’s material.
Analysis / Commentary, Next Gen CommunityIran’s missile program: Two problems, not oneByJohn KrzyzaniakPublished Jun 16, 2021In short, there are really two key issues related to Iran’s ballistic missiles, not one. Although there are few easy answers to either of these, a proper framing is an essential starting point to open up a broader set of ideas and potential solutions.
Analysis / Commentary, Next Gen CommunityStatistically Identifying the NPT’s Effect on Nuclear Proliferation: Is it a Fundamentally Unidentified Question?ByDanny BresslerPublished Mar 19, 2021This is part 2 of the two-part series discussing theories and evidence on whether the NPT has Limited the Spread of Nuclear Weapons.
Analysis / Commentary, Next Gen CommunityHas the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty Limited The Spread of Nuclear Weapons? Evaluating the ArgumentsByDanny BresslerPublished Mar 17, 2021Despite evidence that the NPT has been helpful in restraining proliferation, there is still work to be done to understand how and why the NPT continues to work and under what conditions it may no longer work.
Analysis / Next Gen Community, ReportOn the Horizon: A Collection of the Papers from the Next GenerationByReja YounisPublished Feb 23, 2021The papers included in this volume comprise research from participants in the 2020 Nuclear Scholars Initiative and the PONI Conference Series. These papers explore such topics as the impacts of emerging technologies and capabilities, deep-diving on nuclear strategy and national policies, proposing paths forward for addressing proliferation challenges, and enhancing arms control in contentious environments. Series On The Horizon