Mustafa Kibaroglu presents Turkey's political, military and diplomatic views to the prolonged deployment of U.S. tactical nuclear weapons on their soil. Turkey's policy of non-proliferation contrasts with their hosting – albeit burden sharing – of NATO tactical nuclear weapons. He concludes that Turkey, preferably together with other NATO members, should take the initiative in asking the United States to draw them down and remove them entirely, in the interests of Turkish security and alliance cohesion.
Nuclear posture
What’s next with Trident in the United States?
The United States and the United Kingdom have collaborated very closely for many decades on their submarine-based nuclear weapons systems, and developments in one country are likely to continue having an impact on the other. This brief reviews the United States' strategic nuclear submarine program within the context of U.S. and U.K. plans for replacing the fleets.
Roundtable on NATO´s Nuclear Deterrence and Defence: A Nordic perspective
BASIC and Peace Union of Finland will organize a roundtable in Helsinki on April 28th 2011. As part of a series of meetings organised in conjunction with the Arms Control Association and the Institute for Peace Research and Security Policy at the University of Hamburg the roundtable will explore the Northen European countries\’ perspective on NATO nuclear deterrence and defence.
NATO’s Nuclear Deterrence Posture and Baltic Security
BASIC and the International Centre for Defence Studies convened a roundtable on 15th March 2011 in Tallinn, Estonia to discuss the dimensions of involved in NATO’s deterrence and defence posture review. The current reality is that the risk of nuclear war has evaporated and Russia is a partner; yet there remain strong suspicions of Russia’s intentions, the commitment to nuclear deterrence remains universal amongst NATO’s members, and the Strategic Concept implies continued commitment to the deployment of US theater nuclear weapons (TNWs) in Europe.
Getting to Zero Update
Russia and the United States have begun the exchange of information on their nuclear arsenals under the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty as they assess next steps on arms control and also try to resolve their differences over missile defense.
It will be too late to halt Trident’s replacement if we don’t talk now
Britain's nuclear weapons strategy will be subjected to unprecedented independent scrutiny by a group of senior defence, diplomatic, scientific and political figures who have come together to form BASIC's Trident Commission. BASIC has set up this independent, cross-party commission to examine the United Kingdom’s nuclear weapons policy and the issue of Trident renewal. The Commission will report on evidence received in early 2012.
UK defence minister: case for Trident is ‘thin’
Ian Kearns recently asked a government official what studies had been done into how long it would take and what it would cost to reconstitute the Trident deterrent if it were withdrawn from active deployment.”
The answer: none.
Commission Membership
BASIC has set up an independent, cross-party commission to look into UK nuclear weapons policy and the issue of Trident renewal.