Updated November 2023 While no consensus definition exists, non-strategic nuclear weapons, otherwise known as tactical nuclear weapons, are generally low-yield nuclear weapons designed for use on the battlefield. They can also be defined as weapons not covered by strategic arms control treaties, such as New START, which encompass nuclear weapons delivered via intercontinental ballistic missiles […]
Summary of Senate Version of Fiscal 2016 National Defense Authorization Bill
On May 12, the Senate Armed Services Committee approved a $602 billion authorization bill by a vote of 23-3. The three Senators who voted no were reported as Deb Fischer (R-NB), Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Mike Lee (R-UT). Cruz said he voted no because of the provision requiring women to register for the draft. Lee […]
Fact Sheet: Preventing a Dirty Bomb: Why Radiological Security Matters
Updated March 2021 Nuclear terrorism poses a grave threat to human life. Though less devastating than a nuclear weapon, a terrorist incident featuring radiological material is far more likely due to the abundance of these materials and a widespread lack of adequate security. Consequently, physically protecting isotopes that could be used for a nuclear weapon […]
FY 2017 Defense Budget Request Briefing Book
Click to download a PDF version of the briefing book. The Fiscal Year 2017 Budget in Context Introduction The Fiscal Year 2017 Defense Department requests $523.9 billion for the annual “base” budget, which is $2.2 billion more than current levels, and $10.4 billion below last year’s request. This amount does not include certain other security […]
FY 2017 Budget: Nuclear Non-Proliferation
President Obama’s final budget request includes disappointing reductions in funding for nuclear non-proliferation programs.
