Zero Nuclear Weapons and Nuclear Security Enterprise Modernization
Abstract
Every president since Franklin D. Roosevelt has authorized the production of nuclear weapons, requiring that the U.S. government both understand the nuclear weapons program and establish policy for nuclear weapons employment. Each of these presidents also has reiterated a desire to eliminate or reduce the role of nuclear weapons, only to confront the reality that as long as other countries possess them the United States must maintain a credible nuclear capability to deter adversaries and protect itself and its allies. Maintaining a credible nuclear deterrent is essential to U.S. national security. Any degradation of its nuclear enterprise will impact negatively on its nuclear deterrent capability; an even greater impact could result if deterrence fails. Therefore, the United States must maintain its focus on nuclear weapons and the supporting infrastructure through modernization of the entire nuclear security enterprise (the enterprise), even while it pursues a world without nuclear weapons. To understand the current and future status of the nuclear enterprise, one must first consider its role in history and that of the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA).
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2011
- Accession Number
- ADA549026
Entities
People
- D'anne E. Spence
Organizations
- United States Department of Defense