Nuclear Weapons: Primed and Ready

26 January 2007

In an analysis recently published in Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, WSI President Bruce Blair explains that many nuclear-armed missiles are kept on hair-trigger alert in the United States and Russia. He warns that there is no system currently in place for material and weapons in transport - the period most susceptible to theft. He concludes that a realignment of the United States and Russian nuclear postures is desperately needed.

Summary

Dangerous rhetoric and activity of the Cold War is still present in policy and practice on the part of both the United States and Russia.  Maintaining a Cold War ethic of heavy deterrence is cutting into both countries ability to secure "loose nukes." While spending billions on safeguards and security to prevent theft, much of the former Soviet Union's deteriorating stockpile and command and control systems are left unimproved.  Because the United States and Russia "continue to operate their nuclear forces on a Cold War footing, their cooperative efforts to secure the Russian stockpile from theft or unauthorized use will fail."  The competing trends are that we are simultaneously pursuing a cooperative threat reduction and preparing for large-scale nuclear war. 

Although the Cold War is long over, the countries continue to act in a manner that would suggest a legitimate threat presence.  As many nuclear-armed missiles are kept on hair-trigger alerts, no system is currently in place for material and weapons in transport - the period most susceptible to theft.  A realignment of the United States and Russian nuclear postures is desperately needed.

Read the full article here.

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