In the first of a new series of briefing papers from BASIC Executive Director, Paul Ingram, reviews Negative Security Assurances (NSAs) and their significance in the context of the Ban Treaty talks and beyond.
Programmes
UK’s nuclear submarines vulnerable to ‘catastrophic’ cyber attack sparking nuclear conflict, warn experts
Following its publication, the Independent reported on the findings of BASIC’s cyber security report, Hacking…
UK’s Trident nuclear submarines ‘vulnerable to catastrophic hack’
In June 2017, the Guardian pubished an article exploring some of the key themes of BASIC's cyber security report, Hacking UK Trident. It acknowledged some of Tridents' cyber vulnerabilities, as identified in the report and gauged the reaction of Des Browne, the former UK defence secretary:
Report highlights Trident nuclear hack vulnerabilities
BASIC’s cyber security report, Hacking UK Trident recently featured in a number of national and international defence publications and media pages.
Report: Hacking UK Trident: A Growing Threat
This paper reviews the growing potential for cyber-attack on the UK’s operational fleet of Vanguard-class submarines armed with nuclear-tipped Trident II D-5 ballistic missiles, and some of the implications for strategic stability.
NATO and Trump
On 25th May, NATO Leaders met in Brussels to discuss the future of the alliance. With Trumpian panache, the US President took the opportunity to scold his European allies for not spending enough on defence.
What’s next for the Nuclear Ban Treaty?
The official draft text of a treaty to ban nuclear weapons is likely to be published in the next two weeks (15-26 May 2017).
Should the UK adopt a Restricted First Use policy?
In January 2017, Democratic Senator Ed Markey and Representative Ted Lieu introduced the Restricting First Use of Nuclear Weapons Act 2017 in both houses of Congress. Should the UK follow suit?