BASIC 2012 Annual Activities Report

A Summary of BASIC's activities for Advisors, Patrons, Donors, and Partners

Throughout 2012, large scale endeavors at international and regional levels examined ways to advance international security and reduce threats of nuclear proliferation: in South Korea, heads of state meet at the second Nuclear Security Summit in March; the 2015 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty review process commenced with a Preparatory Committee meeting in Vienna in April; the NATO Alliance delivered a new Deterrence and Defense Posture Review in May; and throughout the year, regional actors in the Middle East and beyond endeavored to meet in Helsinki to establish a WMD-free zone.

Why is NATO Stuck?

The recent publication of Nuclear Policy Paper No. 14, Countdown to Chaos?, marks the completion of a series of cooperative reports by BASIC, the Arms Control Association (ACA) and the Institute for Peace Research and Security Policy at the University of Hamburg (IFSH) on NATO’s nuclear weapons and their future.

Rethinking Nuclear Deterrence and Burden-Sharing

On Friday, BASIC brings together Oliver Meier (Germany) and François Rivasseau (France) to discuss extended deterrence and NATO nuclear burden-sharing as a part of our ongoing Strategic Dialogue series at the Capitol Hill Club in Washington, D.C.

New NATO Policy Publication: Countdown to Chaos?

NATO’s nuclear sharing program is in trouble. The United States has continuously maintained nuclear weapons in Europe since March 1954 (and NATO has agreed to this policy since December of that year). Since 1991, the only U.S. nuclear weapons in NATO’s arsenal have been B61 gravity bombs, designed for delivery to target by “dual-capable” fighter-bomber aircraft (DCA). These aircraft are rapidly reaching the end of their normal service lives, however, and are the only means by which NATO shares the threat of nuclear attack on potential opponents in times of crisis among several Allied nations.

Countdown to Chaos?: Timelines and Implications of Procurement Decisions for NATO’s Dual-Capable Aircraft

NATO's nuclear sharing program is in trouble. The United States has continuously maintained nuclear weapons in Europe since March 1954 (and NATO has agreed to this policy since December of that year). Since 1991, the only U.S. nuclear weapons in NATO’s arsenal have been B61 gravity bombs, designed for delivery to target by “dual-capable” fighter-bomber aircraft (DCA). These aircraft are rapidly reaching the end of their normal service lives, however, and are the only means by which NATO shares the threat of nuclear attack on potential opponents in times of crisis among several Allied nations.

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.

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.