It is time to reassess options for the replacement of the Trident nuclear missile submarines in the light of indications that the capital cost of doing so could run to 28 billion pounds over the next 10-15 years, according to a new report by the British American Security Information Council (BASIC).
This BASIC Backgrounder covers the essential developments in the Senate ratification hearings for the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) between the United States and Russia on reductions to their deployed long-range nuclear weapons arsenal.
(London/Berlin/Washington, D.C./New York) — U.S. and European nuclear arms control and security experts reacted to the elements of a report from a group of senior advisors on reform of NATO\’s basic mission statement describing recommendations on Alliance nuclear policy as a missed opportunity to look forward and take the chance to mould the future of the Alliance.
The first US Presidential debate between senators John McCain and Barack Obama was supposed to be the big chance for the candidates to showcase their foreign policy visions and differences. Unfortunately, both candidates missed two opportunities within the debate to mention their vision for a world without nuclear weapons. It's actually one issue that both of them seem to agree on, at least in a general way.
Whilst spending on public services is to be tightened in the forthcoming Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR), public money is being wasted on new carriers and Trident submarines irrelevant to the security threats facing Britain.
BASIC joined with the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP), and the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington, DC to jointly sponsor a debrief on the recent meeting on nuclear disarmament in Oslo, Norway.
Ambassadors Max Kampelman and James Goodby (U.S.-ret.) and Dr. George Perkovich discussed the means of revitalizing the international disarmament movement.
Follow this link to USIP for a summary and audio recordings of the event:
China's successful ASAT weapons test makes it more difficult for the US to ignore its potential as a competitor in space and makes essential the revitalization of Prevention of an Arms Race in Outer Space (PAROS) negotiations.
A large number of rebels within the Labour and opposition parties failed to defeat the proposals.