The Strategic Challenge of the US Nuclear Arsenal

244 Pages·2014·2.57 MB·English

The Strategic Challenge of the
U.S. Nuclear Arsenal:
AY14 Nuclear Issues Research Group
Edited by: Albert J. Mauroni

STRATEGIC DETERRENCE
ST
IN THE 21 CENTURY:
AY14 NUCLEAR ISSUES RESEARCH GROUP
Edited by
Albert J. Mauroni

USAF Center for Unconventional Weapons Studies

125 Chennault Circle
Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama 36112-6427
August 2014

Disclaimer

The opinions, conclusions, and recommendations expressed or
implied in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily
reflect the views of the Air University, Air Force, or Department of
Defense.
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Table of Contents

Chapter Page
Disclaimer .................................................................................................................................... ii
Preface ............................................................................................................................................. v
1 The Future U.S. Nuclear Strategic Environment ..................................... 1
2 Deterring Iran and Assuring Mideast Partners: A Look at the Key
Elements for U.S. Nuclear Assurance in the Middle East .................... 23
3 Modernizing the Nuclear Bomber Force: A National Security
Imperative ............................................................................................. 43
4 ICBMs: Cold War Relics or Products for Peace ................................... 59
5 Strategic Ballistic Missile Submarine: A Necessary but Uncertain
Future .................................................................................................... 79
6 Credibility of United States Extended Nuclear Deterrence for Northeast
Asia ..................................................................................................... 101
7 Does One Size Fit All? ........................................................................ 121
8 The Case for a New Nuclear Weapons Arsenal .................................. 141
9 Should the United States Ratify the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban
Treaty, or is Nuclear Weapons Testing Still Necessary? .................... 157
10 Nuclear Modernization and the Non-Proliferation Treaty: Compliance
or Compromise .................................................................................. 181
11 Is There Future Utility in Nuclear Weapons? Nuclear Weapons Save
Lives .................................................................................................. 197
12 Nuclear Issues: What Legislators and Policymakers Need to
Know .................................................................................................. 211
Contributors ....................................................................................... 227

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Preface

During the Academic Year 2014 (AY14), the U.S. Air Force
Center for Unconventional Weapons (CUWS) hosted a Nuclear Issues
Research Group elective for the U.S. Air War College. Twelve students
with broad and diverse backgrounds participated in this course, engaging
in critical thinking about the nature of strategic deterrence and the role of
nuclear weapons under strategic deterrence. The class took two field trips:
one to Washington, DC, to engage with Office of the Secretary of Defense
policy makers, Joint Staff and Air Staff offices, the State Department, and
the Central Intelligence Agency; and one to Lawrence Livermore National
Laboratory to discuss the technical side of nuclear weapons.
Dr. Adam Lowther (U.S. Air Force Research Institute) led teaching
of this nuclear elective and guided the development of the students’
professional study papers toward a comprehensive discussion on nuclear
deterrence issues for the 21st century. Dr. Grant Hammond (USAF Center
for Technology and Strategy), Col Charles Patnaude (Air War College),
and Mr. Al Mauroni (CUWS) were faculty advisors for the students in
addition to Dr. Lowther. The results of their professional study papers are
presented in this book. The students voluntarily elected to continue
working on their papers after the course was completed, and those results
will appear in a future book.

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