This collection of background papers is published on the same day as the final report from the Commission and can be read alongside it. They are not representative of the views of the Commission but rather of the authors that submitted them. They have fed into the Commission’s deliberations and have been affected by them.
Publication
The Trident Commission: Concluding Report
The concluding report from the Trident Commission is aimed to contribute to an informed and deeper debate on Trident renewal that focuses on national security in its widest sense.
The Experience of Nuclear Weapon-Free Zones
This report examines nuclear weapon-free zones and the lessons-learned that could be applied to the issue of tactical nuclear weapons currently based in Europe. The report was originally a background paper for the SWP-BASIC workshop on: “Non-Strategic Nuclear Weapons in Europe: Transparency and Confidence-Building Measures in Practice”, Berlin 27-28 March 2014.
Next Generation
BASIC’s NextGen project aims to inspire the next generation to think differently about nuclear weapons by injecting fresh thinking into the nuclear weapons discussion.
A progressive nuclear weapons policy for the next Labour government
The UK has now embarked on an expensive, long and controversial programme to replace Trident, beginning with a new fleet of ballistic missile submarines to carry the US-designed and built Trident missiles into the 2060s.
The Challenges of Coherent U.S. Extended Nuclear Deterrence and Assurance
In this brief paper, Paul Ingram discusses U.S. commitments on extended nuclear detterence and expectations among allies. He explores the issues facing NATO and focuses on the UK-US security relationship around Trident.
A Conservative approach to the forthcoming debate on Trident
Although the final decision to renew the UK’s nuclear deterrent is not due to be taken until 2016, during the next Parliament, it was during the previous Parliament that the lengthy process of authorising and establishing the process of renewal was initiated.
NPT PrepCom 2014: the WMD-free zone in the Middle East and prospects for success
On January 24, 2014, BASIC hosted a roundtable in Washington, DC with experts on both nuclear weapons issues and the Middle East, to discuss potential for progress on a WMD-free zone in the region. This paper highlights, in summary form, the key points discussed.