The Stability-Instability Paradox in South Asia
…offsetting nuclear capabilities and secure, second-strike capabilities would induce special caution, providing the basis for war prevention and escalation control. Offsetting nuclear deterrents channeled the superpower competition into “safer” pursuits,…
Donald Trump’s Challenge to Nuclear Orthodoxy
The belief system in nuclear deterrence makes the most sense at the most elementary level: nuclear weapons deter use by an adversary for fear of retaliation in kind. Deterrence therefore…
Bringing the Developing World into the Nuclear Security Conversation
…of nuclear security and the reduction of national stockpiles of nuclear material (HEU and Pu). Since 2010, 12 countries have eliminated their stocks of nuclear material, while 15 additional countries…
Nuclear BrahMos: On the Anvil?
…nuclear weapons (TNWs). A nuclear-tipped BrahMos would create an additional option for India in targeting Pakistan’s tactical nuclear weapons batteries, with implications on Pakistan’s perception of India’s nuclear doctrine and…
Subconventional Stability on the Korean Peninsula: Lessons From South Asia
…doubtful. Nevertheless, it has partly motivated Pakistan’s development of Nasr tactical nuclear weapons to deter operations under the Cold Start paradigm. Pakistan has also recently publicized its strategic doctrine of…
Five Key Concepts to Understand the India-Pakistan Crisis
…Southern Asia, a free online course from Stimson’s Strategic Learning Initiative. Stability-Instability Paradox The most powerful deterrent a state can possess is nuclear weapons. Soon after the development of nuclear…
Analyzing Chinese Nuclear Signaling towards India in 2021
…and India appear to have been restrained in referring to nuclear weapons capability in their public statements. Neither state threatened to push the nuclear button during the military standoff in…
Israeli Actions Push Iran Closer to Nuclear Weapons
…Iran to make a dash toward building deployable nuclear weapons, a step that would end Israel’s nuclear monopoly in the region and fundamentally change the security landscape of the Middle…