Senior Policy Director John Erath spoke with Newsweek about the Indian nuclear arsenal. “In a nuclear exchange, which we certainly hope does not happen, India has a huge advantage because Pakistan’s population centers are within reach of Indian aircraft and ballistic missiles—and many Indian population centers are difficult to hit from Pakistan,” John Erath, senior policy director […]
Op-ed: Nuclear Testing Is a Relic. Resuming It Would Be Reckless.
Research Analyst Shawn Rostker wrote an op-ed in Just Security about why nuclear testing is unnecessary. For more than three decades, the United States has refrained from conducting explosive nuclear tests, maintaining a moratorium that has become a cornerstone of global nuclear stability. This self-imposed restraint has not only bolstered the United States’ moral standing […]
Good Idea, Iffy Prospects
By John Erath President Donald Trump has stated that he would like to commence talks with Russia and China aimed at reducing numbers of nuclear weapons. This is an encouraging proposal; the world would undoubtedly be safer with fewer, not more, nuclear weapons. It is also much easier said than done. Arms control diplomacy is […]
How Military Tritium Production in Civilian Reactors Can Further Non-proliferation Goals
by Taylor Loy* Tritium, a radioactive isotope of hydrogen, is an essential component of most advanced nuclear weapons designs and has typically been produced in secure military facilities. Only a few grams of tritium per warhead are needed to boost nuclear weapon yields significantly. Tritium’s relatively short half-life means that it needs renewal more often […]
Op-ed: Hypersonic Overhype
Research Analyst Shawn Rostker wrote an op-ed in RealClear Defense on the lacking utility of hypersonic missiles. The United States has been exploring research and development of hypersonic weapons technologies for decades. Historically, such funding has been relatively modest, but in recent years the Department of Defense (DoD) has grown more vocal in its desire to accelerate development and […]
