RAND >

Nuclear Weapons and Warfare

Security Cooperation
commentary
The U.S. Is Out of the Iran Deal. What Now?
James Dobbins @Jim_Dobbins
May 9, 2018
Reuters
Abandoning the nuclear agreement with Iran isolates the United States, reneges on an American commitment, adds to the risk of a trade war with U.S. allies and a hot war with Iran, and diminishes the prospects of an agreement to eliminate the North Korean threat.
Read More »

Artificial Intelligence
commentary
Will Artificial Intelligence Undermine Nuclear Stability?
Andrew J. Lohn @andrewjlohn, Edward Geist
May 1, 2018
Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
In the coming years, AI-enabled progress in tracking and targeting adversaries' nuclear weapons could undermine the foundations of nuclear stability. Will AI someday be able to guide strategy decisions about escalation or even launching nuclear weapons?
Read More »
Artificial Intelligence
article
How Artificial Intelligence Could Increase the Risk of Nuclear War
Apr 24, 2018
Advances in artificial intelligence have provoked a new kind of arms race among nuclear powers. AI could challenge the basic rules of nuclear deterrence and lead to catastrophic miscalculations.
Read More »
North Korea
blog
Preparing for U.S.-North Korea Talks: Insights from Researcher Bruce Bennett
Apr 5, 2018
What are the chances that a meeting between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and President Trump will lead to meaningful progress? And what should U.S. leaders be thinking about as they prepare? RAND's Bruce Bennett discusses.
Read More »
Arms Proliferation and Control
commentary
Iran: The Nuclear Agreement Will Survive, at Least for Now
Richard Charles Baffa @R_Baffa
Apr 4, 2018
The Hill
A U.S. unilateral withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal does not necessarily mean the deal will collapse. But a broader collapse of the agreement along with the imposition of harsh sanctions in the coming months could sharply escalate tensions with Iran.
Read More »
Nuclear Deterrence
commentary
What Does Japan Think of the Iran Nuclear Deal?
Scott W. Harold @ScottWHarold
Mar 26, 2018
The Diplomat
What is Tokyo's view of the Iran nuclear deal and how has Tokyo responded to the U.S. threat to withdraw from it? What role is Japan, the world's third-largest economy, a major U.S. ally, and the only country ever to be attacked with nuclear weapons, likely to play in attempting to preserve, improve, or scrap the deal?
Read More »
Nuclear Deterrence
commentary
Red Glare: The Origin and Implications of Russia's 'New' Nuclear Weapons
Austin Long
Mar 26, 2018
War on the Rocks
Why would Russia, which has over 1,500 deployed strategic nuclear warheads that can be delivered from existing ballistic and cruise missiles, invest in new, exotic systems? The answer is deeply rooted in modern Russian and Soviet history.
Read More »
Submarines
commentary
Location, Location, Location: Evaluating Risks to Submarines from Low-Yield Warhead and Submarine Missile Launch Detection
Austin Long
Mar 12, 2018
Lawfare
Experts can argue that a low-yield SLBM might not be worth deploying as it would put U.S. submarines at unacceptable risk. But the costs to adversaries to develop the capability to target U.S. submarines with nuclear weapons are substantial. In contrast, the costs to the United States are low, requiring only modification to an existing warhead.
Read More »
Nuclear Disarmament
commentary
Could Putin's Speech Signal the Erosion of Nuclear Nonproliferation?
Daniel M. Gerstein @Daniel_Gerstein
Mar 7, 2018
The Hill
Russian President Vladimir Putin has linked the development of new nuclear weapons capabilities to the United States' refusal to collaborate on arms control. Perhaps before Russia goes down this path, another attempt at dialogue would be beneficial as both nations have expressed a shared interest in limiting nuclear proliferation.
Read More »
North Korea
commentary
Joint Military Exercise Can Be a Bargaining Chip with North Korea
James Dobbins @Jim_Dobbins
Feb 23, 2018
The Hill
Since 1976, the United States and South Korea have scheduled large-scale joint military exercises each year. Postponing the exercises this year has led to some signs that North Korea might be open to diplomacy. Delaying the exercises further could lead to direct talks between Washington and Pyongyang.
Read More »
International Diplomacy
commentary
At Olympics, U.S. and Korean Leaders Revive Familiar Roles
James Dobbins @Jim_Dobbins
Feb 22, 2018
Reuters
The current spate of North-South Korean diplomacy could be short-lived, giving way to resumed tensions and mounting fears of war. It seems possible, however, that South Korean President Moon Jae-in will succeed in brokering direct talks between Pyongyang and Washington.
Read More »
Ballistic Missiles
commentary
Discrimination Details Matter: Clarifying an Argument About Low-Yield Nuclear Warheads
Austin Long
Feb 16, 2018
War on the Rocks
Nuclear forces and nuclear strategy are complex and the facts surrounding them are often shrouded in classification. But if the United States were to deploy a low-yield submarine-launched ballistic missile warhead in the future, an adversary would face the same problems as it does today in knowing what the missile contains.
Read More »
North Korea
commentary
Countering North Korea's Political Warfare
Scott W. Harold @ScottWHarold
Feb 11, 2018
The Diplomat
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has outmaneuvered South Korean President Moon Jae-in in the month leading up to the Olympics. This has dangerous consequences for South Korea's security, democracy, and its alliance with the United States.
Read More »
Nuclear Weapons and Warfare
commentary
Return of Tactical Nuclear Weapons Would Send a Dangerous Signal
Daniel M. Gerstein @Daniel_Gerstein
Jan 19, 2018
CNN
A change in the U.S. nuclear posture to include low-yield nuclear weapons could make nonproliferation goals harder to achieve. But it could also signal a new willingness to consider these weapons as part of a spectrum of warfighting capabilities, rather than as a necessary component of the U.S. deterrence posture.
Read More »
North Korea
commentary
Nothing New from North Korea
James Dobbins @Jim_Dobbins
Jan 12, 2018
U.S. News & World Report
Kim Jong Un's recent proposal for talks with South Korea is by no means unprecedented. And while the overture could somewhat ease tensions in the region, there is no reason to believe that Kim is ready to give up his nuclear arsenal.
Read More »
Emergency Preparedness
commentary
Rethinking the Unthinkable: Recovering from a Nuclear Attack on a U.S. City
David A. Shlapak
Nov 7, 2017
Dallas Morning News
Responding after a nuclear attack will require having planned and prepared for problems that are very different than those encountered after hurricanes and earthquakes. U.S. cities are inadequately prepared to handle a disaster of this magnitude.
Read More »

Page 1 of 13

…

Nuclear Weapons and Warfare

The U.S. Is Out of the Iran Deal. What Now?

Will Artificial Intelligence Undermine Nuclear Stability?

How Artificial Intelligence Could Increase the Risk of Nuclear War

Preparing for U.S.-North Korea Talks: Insights from Researcher Bruce Bennett

Iran: The Nuclear Agreement Will Survive, at Least for Now

What Does Japan Think of the Iran Nuclear Deal?

Red Glare: The Origin and Implications of Russia's 'New' Nuclear Weapons

Location, Location, Location: Evaluating Risks to Submarines from Low-Yield Warhead and Submarine Missile Launch Detection

Could Putin's Speech Signal the Erosion of Nuclear Nonproliferation?

Joint Military Exercise Can Be a Bargaining Chip with North Korea

At Olympics, U.S. and Korean Leaders Revive Familiar Roles

Discrimination Details Matter: Clarifying an Argument About Low-Yield Nuclear Warheads

Countering North Korea's Political Warfare

Return of Tactical Nuclear Weapons Would Send a Dangerous Signal

Nothing New from North Korea

Rethinking the Unthinkable: Recovering from a Nuclear Attack on a U.S. City

Contact Us

Follow