Threats
EXCLUSIVE: US Preparing to Put Nuclear Bombers Back on 24-Hour Alert
If the order comes, the B-52s will return to a ready-to-fly posture not seen since the Cold War.
Policy
The Questions Raised By Trump's Iran Deal Decision
The U.S. will stick to the nuclear agreement—for now.
Threats
Trump Administration Gambles On Iran Nuclear Deal
White House staffers say the president will decertify the 2015 seven-party agreement, introducing uncertainty and worrying arms control watchers.
Science & Tech
North Korea Is Testing Not Just Bombs, But the Entire Global Nuclear Monitoring System
It is a miracle of statecraft and science that this collaborative international infrastructure has actually come into being.
Ideas
Why Tactical Nuclear Weapons Are Still A Thing
In the debate over low-yield nukes, opposing camps are largely talking past each other. Here are some thoughts about why they remain necessary.
Science & Tech
The Folly of Tactical Nuclear Weapons
Some soothsayers say they boost deterrence. But the point of deterrence is to have no mushroom clouds, not new, tailor-made ones.
Science & Tech
3 Questions: America’s Next Nuclear-Missile Submarine
Built to deter America's enemies for the next 60 years, the Navy's new missile sub is slated to be the U.S. military’s third most-expensive program — ever.
Science & Tech
The Russians Just Test-Fired an ICBM
Both Washington and Moscow are modernizing their nuclear arsenals, but military leaders worry that Russia is ahead.
Ideas
No, We Cannot Shoot Down North Korea’s Missiles
It's time national leaders speak realistically about missile defense.
Threats
‘Is There Something Going On?’: On Scene at STRATCOM As North Korea Launches Missile
The head of U.S. Strategic Command is whisked to his operations center as a missile flies over Japan.
Business
At US Nuclear Weapons Base, Mattis Signals Support for Triad
But the U.S. defense secretary stopped short of endorsing all types of new nuclear weapons in development.
Policy
Amid North Korea Tension, Mattis Heads to US Nuclear Weapons Bases
The U.S. defense secretary will inspect American ICBMs, then visit the military command that would lead a nuclear war.
Ideas
What the Iran Deal Can Teach America About North Korea
If credibility depends in part on a country’s willingness to follow through on military threats, surely it also depends on whether it abides by diplomatic commitments.
Ideas
Building an H-Bomb in Plain Sight
Usually countries build nuclear weapons in secret—but not North Korea.
Ideas
The Clear Logic of the Latest North Korean Test
Kim Jong Un has a predictable purpose and a plan.
Ideas
The Quite Rational Basis for North Korea's Japan Overfly
With each new missile test, Pyongyang shakes Tokyo’s confidence in Washington, while accruing valuable data on its own capabilities.
Ideas
Lower-Yield Weapons Will Raise, Not Lower, the Threshold for Nuclear Use
Giving the U.S. president more flexible options will improve deterrence.
Ideas
The North Korean Threat Beyond ICBMs
Even without them, the Kim regime can menace its immediate neighborhood—or sell nuclear material to rogue states.
Business
US Air Force Hires Two Firms to Start Developing America's Next ICBM
Boeing and Northrop Grumman have each received deals to start developing a replacement for the Minuteman III.
Ideas