Research and Reports

With nuclear weapons dangers rising and progress on nuclear disarmament stalled, a new series of disarmament summits modeled after the highly successful nuclear security summit process could inject much-needed momentum and creativity into the existing architecture. A carefully calibrated disarmament summit process could help bypass some of the structural and political factors that have slowed progress on nuclear disarmament in recent years.This report describes how a series of high-level summits involving top leaders of states possessing nuclear weapons and a representative group of non-nuclear-weapon states, could facilitate renewed action toward achieving the common goal of a world free of nuclear weapons.

This report provides an overview of the potentially destabilizing effects of several new and emerging technologies and their respective military applications. It aims to provide decision-makers with a better understanding of how to mitigate the risks and reduce the chances that a major power conflict or confrontation escalates to the nuclear level through a range of arms control and risk reduction measures.

The weaponization of advanced technologies may potentially carry far-ranging, dangerous consequences that expand into the nuclear realm. This report examines four particular new kinds or new applications of technologies and proposes a framework strategy aimed at advancing an array of measures that all contribute to the larger goal of preventing unintended escalation.

The U.S. rush to field hypersonic weapons merits a more critical examination by the Biden administration and Congress given the many unanswered questions about their rationale, technical viability, cost-effectiveness, and escalatory risks. This new report outlines the scope of these unanswered questions and suggests recommended actions.