Nuclear Weapons
US shifts nuclear focus to counter China’s growing arsenal
The New York Times has reported that in March, US President Joe Biden approved a highly classified nuclear strategic plan for the United States. The paper goes on to say that for…
Thinking the “unthinkable” again?
In a recent Interpreter article, Daniel Flitton suggested that public opinion on nuclear-related issues may be shifting, with the 2024 Lowy Institute Poll finding that 61 per cent…
South Korea’s nuclear ambition holds a place in the national consciousness
Living in Seoul, you hear it often enough: “Korea was invaded more than a thousand times”. Depending on who you talk to, the number changes. I’ve personally heard “300”, the very…
Nuclear subs, nuclear power … could nuclear weapons be next?
Opposition leader Peter Dutton has today nominated seven sites where he says a future Coalition government would construct nuclear power plants. For the benefit of international…
North Korea’s new threat: “Core central striking means”
North Korea regularly threatens to turn the South Korean capital Seoul into a “sea of fire” but it is conventional artillery weapons – not nuclear strikes – that have long been…
A big leap in the credibility of India’s nuclear weapons capability
India’s successful test of its Agni-V land-based intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) with multiple independently targetable re-entry vehicles (MIRV) last week represents a…
Why is Putin again threatening a nuclear war?
In his state of the nation speech last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that Western support for Ukraine risks triggering a global war. Echoing his rhetoric from the…
By the numbers: China’s nuclear inventory continues to grow
The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists’ 2024 Nuclear Notebook estimates that China now has about 500 nuclear warheads, and more are being produced to equip future delivery systems. Of…
Is there really a nuclear weapon in space?
Alarm was raised in the media this week about a “national security threat” to the United States from Russia, ostensibly a nuclear space-based weapon. The news came after the…
AI’s Oppenheimer moment: Establishing regulations
This era of Artificial Intelligence is coming to be known as the “Oppenheimer moment”, where the rapid development of military AI demands concrete regulatory frameworks to prevent…