Strengthening Strategic Stability with Russia

Abstract

As used in this Perspective, strategic stability refers to the probability of strategic nuclear exchange, although there have been other definitionsboth broader and more narrow. Strategic stability between the United States and Russia is eroding, and the options for shoring it up are few. Todays international security environment includes several nuclear-armed states. The strategic nuclear relationship between the United States and Russia, however, remains the most important; the two nuclear superpowers have the capacity to carry out large- scale, coordinated nuclear strikes that could devastate entire continents. The factors that have increased the likelihood of strategic nuclear exchange in recent years can be grouped into three categories: factors increasing the incidence of war involving the United States and Russia, factors increasing the risks of escalation during wars, and factors that reduce crisis stability.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jan 01, 2017
Accession Number
AD1053227

Entities

People

  • Andrew Radin
  • Christopher Chivvis
  • Clint Reach
  • Dara Massicot

Organizations

  • RAND Corporation

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Counter WMD
  • Cyber
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Arms Control
  • Arms Control Treaties
  • Ballistic Missiles
  • Contingency Operations (Military)
  • Cyberattacks
  • Intergovernmental Organizations
  • International Law
  • International Organizations
  • International Relations
  • International Security
  • National Politics
  • National Security
  • Prompt Global Strike
  • Strategic Weapons
  • Treaties
  • United States
  • War Colleges

Fields of Study

  • Political science

Readers

  • Strategic Security Studies