The US President has the authority to launch the US nuclear arsenal at any time and without reference to any other authority. During the Presidential election Democrats attempted to discredit Trump’s ability to handle the grave responsibilities of office that come from control of the country’s thousands of nuclear warheads. US nuclear posture and doctrine is now set to remain a high-profile, contentious issue in the first year of the Trump Administration.
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Report: Responsible Nuclear Sovereignty and the Future of the Global Nuclear Order
What are states' responsibilities around the possession of nuclear weapons?
Our latest report, written in partnership with the Institute for Conflict, Cooperation, and Security (ICCS), at the University of Birmingham, seeks to foster an international dialogue about the responsibilities of nuclear-armed states.
A Policy Proposal for the UK Government: Prevent a Nuclear Catastrophe
Paul Ingram, BASIC’s Executive Director, was one of the judges in the recent Young Student Pugwash competition. Participants were asked to write a blog in response to the below challenge. The winner is Caroline Leroy. We reproduce her blog post here.
China’s UUV seizure was about undersea dominance
As the USNS Bowditch was recovering a UUV (unmanned underwater vehicle, or underwater drone) in the South China Sea on 15th December, a light-fingered Chinese Navy salvage ship reportedly called Naniju swooped in and took it in spite of repeated bridge-to-bridge demands to return the craft.
Opportunities for effective strategic dialogue: bridging the nuclear deterrence and disarmament constituencies
In times when evidence-based policy making approaches are under assault, communities that devote themselves to managing the dangers of strategic competition and nuclear arms racing need to come together to consider ways to realise their common objectives.
Report: Impact of Emerging Technologies on the Future of SSBNs
Our two latest reports assess the effect of emerging undersea technologies on ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs) and strategic stability.
Disarmament is more about international security than morality
The debate within expert communities over nuclear deterrence and disarmament can be infuriatingly complex and unrelated to the decisions taken in a political context. Disarmament is often dismissed by commentators in both arenas as naive and dangerous, yet it is at root about a cooperative search for security.
Report: The Impact of Emerging Technologies on the Future of SSBNs
On the 13th September, BASIC, British Pugwash and the University of Leicester hosted a conference at the National Liberal Club, London on emerging undersea technologies and how they could affect the operation of ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs).