Council on Foreign Relations

This Council on Foreign Relations project will assess the costs and benefits of proposed plans to reintroduce tactical nuclear weapons as part of U.S. military strategy. Proponents argue that new low-yield nuclear weapons are needed to fill the gap between existing conventional munitions and the nation’s current nuclear forces. Skeptics question the need for, and the utility of, developing smaller nuclear weapons. The combination of rapidly improving conventional precision-strike capabilities, the operational uncertainties of nuclear use, and the political difficulties posed by an emphasis on nuclear threats argue against reliance on such a strategy.

This study group will focus on four specific issues: 1) the impact new nuclear weapons policies will have on efforts to prevent the spread and use of weapons of mass destruction; 2) the feasibility and need of developing new nuclear weapons for bunker-busting recently identified by the administration; 3) whether resumed underground nuclear explosive testing may be required for that purpose and the implications of this for the current testing moratorium; and 4) the potential military benefits to other nations, such as China, if they are free to resume testing and modernize their own nuclear forces.

This project will result in a major article, for publication in a leading policy journal, and a technical white paper supporting the claims made in the article.