Nuclear Use Authority
There is no more consequential decision for a president than ordering a nuclear strike. Once launched, a nuclear-armed missile cannot be recalled or aborted. Today, the strategic environment and threats that could lead to the use of a nuclear weapon have changed from the Cold War, yet much of U.S. policy with respect to nuclear use authority remains grounded in that past era, increasing the risk of an accident or a mistake.
Statement from Ernest J. Moniz and Sam Nunn on Nuclear Use Authority
The President and Nuclear Weapons: Authorities, Limits, and Process
More resources
U.S. Nuclear Policies for a Safer World
Assessing and Managing the Benefits and Risks of Artificial Intelligence in Nuclear-Weapon Systems
NTI Seminar: A Stable Nuclear Future? Autonomous Systems, Artificial Intelligence and Strategic Stability with UPenn’s Michael C. Horowitz
Projects
Past Project Safer World 2020
Engaging U.S. voters about the urgency to reduce nuclear and other WMD threats
More News and Analysis on Nuclear Weapons Programs, Policy, and Deterrence
NTI CEO Christine Wormuth on Opportunities to Strengthen Security Through Cooperation at the Trump-Xi Summit
The Summit can produce outcomes that strengthen U.S. national security and reduce global nuclear and biological risks
NTI Experts Address Iran’s Nuclear Future
The panel painted a stark picture of what the war may mean for Iran’s nuclear program.
Statement by NTI on the U.S.-Israel Strikes on Iran
The ongoing major combat operations introduce serious nuclear security and proliferation risks.
NTI President and CEO Christine Wormuth on the Expiration of the New START Treaty
New START, the last remaining arms control treaty capping U.S. and Russian nuclear arsenals, expires on February 5. This marks the beginning of a dangerous new era. For the first time in several decades, there will be no limits on nuclear weapons, less visibility into Russian nuclear weapons activities, and fewer tools to manage a crisis between the world’s two largest nuclear powers.
Global Nuclear Effects: Economic and Financial Fallout of Nuclear Use
Despite the high stakes, the economic and financial considerations of nuclear weapons use remain underexplored. This paper examines several decades of research on economic and financial effects of nuclear weapons use, and explores the key gaps in our understanding of effects in today’s interconnected world.
See All Analysis on Nuclear Weapons Programs, Policy, and Deterrence