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Nuclear arms control and non-proliferation has been a major element of the Obama administration’s foreign policy. To help understand recent achievements in that arena, as well as possible next steps, the Brookings Arms Control and Non-Proliferation Initiative has prepared an arms control and non-proliferation primer.

The document outlines the Obama administration’s accomplishments, complications that have hindered progress on arms control, and possible next steps on issues including further nuclear reductions, treaty compliance, and missile defense issues. The presentation is meant to aid anyone seeking a quick introduction to the intricate world of nuclear arms control and non-proliferation.

Nuclear Arms Control in 2016
Nuclear Arms Control in 2016
Introduction slide
Introduction
What the Obama Administration has Achieved
What the Obama Administration has Achieved
Main Achievements
Main Achievements
New Strategic Arms Reduction Treat (New START)
New Strategic Arms Reduction Treat (New START)
New START
New START
Main Treaty Provisions
Main Treaty Provisions
Deployed Strategic Delivery Vehicles (SDV) Limit
Deployed Strategic Delivery Vehicles (SDV) Limit
Deployed/Non-Deployed Limit
Deployed/Non-Deployed Limit
Deployed Warhead Limit
Deployed Warhead Limit
Treaty Implementation
Treaty Implementation
New START Numbers, October 2015
New START Numbers, October 2015
Expected U.S. Force When New START Fully Implemented
Expected U.S. Force When New START Fully Implemented
Nuclear Security Summit (NSS) Process
Nuclear Security Summit (NSS) Process
History
History
NSS Goals
NSS Goals
Achievements
Achievements
What's Next for NSS Process?
What's Next for NSS Process?
Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)
Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)
JCPOA
JCPOA
Main Iranian Commitments
Main Iranian Commitments
Impact of JCPOA
Impact of JCPOA
U.S. Commitments
U.S. Commitments
What Has Hindered Further Nuclear Reductions
What Has Hindered Further Nuclear Reductions
U.S. Views on Next Steps
U.S. Views on Next Steps
Russian Views
Russian Views
U.S. Missile Defense in Europe
U.S. Missile Defense in Europe
Missile Defense
Missile Defense
U.S. Non-Strategic Nuclear Weapons (NSNW) in Europe
U.S. Non-Strategic Nuclear Weapons (NSNW) in Europe
Bilateral vs Multilateral
Bilateral vs Multilateral
World's Nuclear Powers, 2015
World's Nuclear Powers, 2015
Issues for Further Negotiations
Issues for Further Negotiations
Potential Items for Negotiation
Potential Items for Negotiation
Further Reductions in Nuclear Forces
Further Reductions in Nuclear Forces
Modernization Plans
Modernization Plans
New Bilateral Negotiations Possible?
New Bilateral Negotiations Possible?
Strategic Nuclear Reductions
Strategic Nuclear Reductions
Time to Include All Weapons?
Time to Include All Weapons?
Estimated U.S., Russia Nuclear Warhead Levels, 2015
Estimated U.S., Russia Nuclear Warhead Levels, 2015
Key NSNW Arms Control Issues
Key NSNW Arms Control Issues
Possible Confidence-Building Measures
Possible Confidence-Building Measures
Single Limit on All Nukes?
Single Limit on All Nukes?
INF Treaty Compliance
INF Treaty Compliance
INF Treaty Issues
INF Treaty Issues
Russian INF Counter-Charges
Russian INF Counter-Charges
INF Treaty Compliance
INF Treaty Compliance
Possible INF Solution?
Possible INF Solution?
Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT)
Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT)
CTBT Status
CTBT Status
Reasons to Ratify
Reasons to Ratify
Interim Steps on CTBT?
Interim Steps on CTBT?
Missile Defense (MD) Issues
Missile Defense (MD) Issues
Missile Defense Dilemma
Missile Defense Dilemma
Transparency Agreement?
Transparency Agreement?
Advanced Conventional Weapons
Advanced Conventional Weapons
Limiting Advanced Conventional Weapons
Limiting Advanced Conventional Weapons
Cruise Missiles
Cruise Missiles
Multilateralization
Multilateralization
U.S., Russia and the Rest
U.S., Russia and the Rest
Involving Others
Involving Others
Sources
Sources

The primer assesses the status of nuclear arms control as of early 2016 and key issues for the future. Topics include:

  • New START
  • The Nuclear Security Summit Process
  • The Iran-P5+1 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action
  • Further cuts to nuclear forces
  • INF Treaty compliance
  • Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty
  • Missile defense issues
  • Advanced conventional weapons
  • Multilateralization of arms control