Technological Risk
Emerging technologies pose new and unique threats to international stability.
BASIC monitors and assesses the impacts of disruptive technologies – such as cyber weapons, artificial intelligence, remote sensing, and drones – on nuclear command-and-control systems and delivery platforms, and provides analysis of their strategic implications and opportunities for control. Technologies are evolving at an alarming rate in both the civilian and military spheres, and create unpredictable risks that humanity must keep in check.
In 2015, BASIC started a multi-year collaboration with British Pugwash to explore technical innovations that might pose a threat to nuclear ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs), hosting roundtables with high-level scientists in the field and a major conference in September 2016 at the National Liberal Club in London. In 2017, BASIC published Hacking UK Trident with CBRN security expert Stanislav Abeymov, exploring the risks posed to Trident from offensive cyber weapons.
We are grateful for the generous support of British Pugwash, Network for Social Change, and the Polden-Puckham Charitable Foundation.
Programme Manager: Chris Spedding
Analysis and Publications for this Programme
Emerging technologies pose new and unique threats to international stability
Dumping “Disposable” Reactors in the Sea Should be a Non-Starter
Chris Spedding argues that developing and testing autonomous nuclear-propulsion reactors for aerial or subsea munitions will lead to a real risk of radiological exposure and contamination, with lethal consequences.
Conventional Arms Control and Nuclear Security: The Challenge of Conventional Prompt Global Strike Weapons
Guest author, Peter Rautenbach, explores the challenges of Conventional Prompt Global Strike (CPGS) weapons, and looks to arms control to mitigate the ensuing risks.
BASIC Policy Intern, Fabian Hoffmann, Publishes New Report on Cruise Missile Proliferation
One of BASIC’s talented Policy Interns, Fabian Hoffmann, has published a report with the European…
Strategic Upheaval, Overhyped, or Something in Between? Forecasting the Relative Impacts of Cyber and Space Technologies
This is an extract from an article written by Marina Favaro and published by the…
Chapter: Prospects for Game-Changers in Detection Technology
We are delighted to share this new short chapter, ‘Prospects for Game-Changers in Detection Technology’,…
Drones, Swarming and the Future of Warfare
The meeting heard from two speakers about how the emergence of new drone technologies were changing the dynamics of war.
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:
Active Programmes
BASIC believes in making progress on nuclear disarmament, arms control, and non-proliferation through multiple complementary approaches. We continuously develop our programmes – streams of research – through sustained engagement with a wide range of stakeholders, collectively searching for the art of the possible.
Our current programmes are listed below. View the current programmes page by clicking here.
