Nuclear weapons policy looks set to feature as a political issue in the 2015 general election. A broad consensus on UK nuclear weapons policy since of the end of the Cold War amongst the party leaderships of the three main Westminster parties has been disturbed by the debate on whether and, if so, how to replace the current Trident nuclear weapons system.
Modernisation
Trident downgrade would be reckless, say Tories on eve of Lib Dem review
Richard Norton-Taylor references recent BASIC publication, Trident in UK Politics and Public opinion, in his article preceeding the release of the UK goverenment's Trident Alternatives Review.
Read the full article on the Guardian website: http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk-news/2013/jul/15/trident-downgrade-reckless-philip-hammond
Reading the findings of the UK Trident Alternatives Review
The long-anticipated government Trident Alternatives Review, which will outline options for the next British nuclear weapon platform and delivery system, is expected to be made public next week. This short briefing anticipates the publication of the Government’s TAR, and provides analysis on how it should be read.
Could the renewed focus on non-strategic nuclear weapons signal a new era in Euro-Atlantic security?
It is 22 years since the Presidential Nuclear Initiatives were announced soon after the fall of the Berlin wall. Presidents Bush and Gorbachev declared massive unilateral cuts to their holdings of short range tactical nuclear weapons, and their militaries set about the task of dismantling them.
The M51 missile failure: where does this leave French nuclear modernization?
The latest M51 ballistic missile test was a failure. The missile blew up minutes after emerging from the French submarine, Le Vigilant, in the Audierne Bay (off the coast of Brittany) on May 5. French leaders have always claimed that France has never participated directly in the Cold War arms race; but, the scale of its current modernization program of nuclear weapon systems, running for over fifteen years, is massive.
Implications of President Obama’s Speech in Berlin and Nuclear Strategy Review
—Progress on nuclear reductions will require more successful engagement with Russia President Barack Obama set…
Friends, foes, & the unstable future: the impact of nukes on security relations in South Asia
The volatile security environment of South Asia has traditionally been dominated by on-going tensions and conflicts between Pakistan and India, who have held a tense and inimical relationship since their emergence as separate nations in 1947. The threat perception arising out of the historical tension and enduring rivalry between both countries has put them in a security dilemma in which the risk of nuclear conflict simply cannot be ruled out.
British PM seeks to keep controversial Trident nukes
BASIC Executive Director, Paul Ingram, was interviewed by Press TV after British Prime Minister David Cameron wrote a piece for the Telegraph, acknowledging his support of Trident and highlighting the country's need to replace the weapons system with a like-for-like program.
Paul Ingram counter's the Prime Minster's arguments here: http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2013/04/05/296582/british-pm-seeks-to-keep-controversial-trident-nukes/