Nuclear Weapons

It’s time to talk about existential risk
It’s time to talk about existential risk
Italian-American physicist Enrico Fermi was having lunch with his colleagues in 1950 when he asked a now famous question: where is everybody? He was referring to the apparent…
An arms control stocktake
An arms control stocktake
Nuclear politics and nuclear policy shifts get plenty of coverage – atomic-powered submarines for Australia, China’s missile silo fields, North Korea’s enrichment activities in…
North Korea’s calculated restraint
North Korea’s calculated restraint
September is an important month for South Korea’s President Moon Jae-in to make a last ditch attempt to revive relations with a recalcitrant North Korea before the presidential…
Japan’s nuclear identity and the complicated endgame
Japan’s nuclear identity and the complicated endgame
Book Review: Akimoto Daisuke, Japan’s Nuclear Identity and its Implications for Nuclear Abolition (Palgrave Macmillan, 2020) It has been rare in recent years for the…
China’s new silos: Nuclear arms control more urgent than ever
China’s new silos: Nuclear arms control more urgent than ever
Over the last few weeks, evidence has emerged that China may be expanding its arsenal of nuclear-armed intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) on a much larger scale than…
Scottish independence and the implications for British defence
Scottish independence and the implications for British defence
For the better part of a decade, the United Kingdom has witnessed a deteriorating security environment, whether from a more aggressive Russia, a retreating United States or the…
A “No-First-Use” doctrine would undermine American nuclear deterrence
A “No-First-Use” doctrine would undermine American nuclear deterrence
Given the widespread relief accompanying Joe Biden’s transition to the White House, it seems churlish to start picking apart his policy agenda. Yet, there are grounds for concern…
Iran nuclear deal: Revenge of the diplomats
Iran nuclear deal: Revenge of the diplomats
Joe Biden has so many competing priorities to address after four years of Donald Trump that it is hard to know where to start. Biden will naturally have an immediate focus on…
A missile spotter’s guide to North Korea (and beyond)
A missile spotter’s guide to North Korea (and beyond)
On 10 October, North Korea added to the woes of 2020 with an enormous military parade that revealed, among other weapons, what appeared to be an enormous new road-mobile…
Nuclear Ban Treaty: Wishful thinking over realism
Nuclear Ban Treaty: Wishful thinking over realism
You could be forgiven for assuming that governments of the world inhabit two parallel universes. In July this year, Australia launched the 2020 Defence…