From an Australian perspective, there are lots of questions to be answered about the Australia-UK-U.S. submarine deal.
The proposed AUKUS submarine plan would set a precedent of a nuclear-weapon state selling nuclear submarines to a non-weapon state. The use of highly enriched uranium (HEU) fuel is especially troublesome.
The controversial deal is designed to counter a more assertive China but many worry it could also weaken nonproliferation norms.
In recent years, the United Kingdom has touted itself as one of the most transparent of the five nuclear-armed states recognized by the nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT), and its leaders leaned heavily on the fact that it was reducing the size of its nuclear force.
A new defense policy review results in raising warhead ceiling by 44 percent.
UK Finalizes New Safeguards
Criticism of this week's announcement by the United Kingdom on its nuclear weapons arsenal echoes the arguments of anti-nuclear, anti-colonialist leaders of an earlier era.
Statement from the Arms Control Association
Nuclear Powers Discuss Arms Control
A new report details the extent to which 11 key states are fulfilling, promoting, or undermining 10 standards identified as critical elements of the nonproliferation and disarmament regime.
This new report is the fourth in a series that assesses the extent to which 11 key states are fulfilling, promoting, or undermining 10 standards identified as critical elements of the nonproliferation and disarmament regime. Collectively, states fared worse on the majority of criteria when compared with the prior edition covering the 2013–2016 period.
July 2019
U.S. and UK leaders face domestic hurdles to their efforts to sell Saudi Arabia conventional weapons.