The Future of Nuclear Weapons and the Non-Proliferation Treaty
Abstract
For the last 46 years the world lived in fear of nuclear weapons. Their use was tightly held among the two superpowers and up to six lesser powers. The Cold War is now over and the United States' arsenal of nuclear weapons will soon seem unnecessary and obsolete in light of the reduced threat and the advent of sophisticated conventional munitions. The United States is considering ways to reduce the world's nuclear arsenal and to prohibit the spread of nuclear weapons. This essay serves as a background paper for a nuclear nonproliferation simulation by the National Defense University's Institute for National Security Studies and the War Gaming and Simulation Center. Over the next 20 years, nuclear weapons will decline in importance as defensive systems are introduced and the former Soviet Union disarms. The United States has a vested interest in reducing the number of nuclear weapons and keeping conflicts at the conventional level. A robust ballistic missile defense coupled with approximately 500 tactical and strategic weapons should be sufficient until the year 2012. The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) offers the best mechanism for reducing nuclear weapons. Specific recommendations are given to bolster the NPT to oversee United States and Russian reductions to a national limit of 500 warheads each.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 01, 1992
- Accession Number
- ADA262248
Entities
People
- Paul Boren
Organizations
- Dwight D. Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy