Meeting U.S. deterrence requirements

In the face of a more challenging international security environment—with Russia and China modernizing their nuclear forces, and North Korea on the verge of a nuclear-armed intercontinental ballistic missile—the Trump administration is conducting its nuclear posture review. In a forthcoming report entitled “Meeting U.S. Deterrence Requirements: Toward a Sustainable National Consensus,” a working group convened by Brookings examines that environment and provides a wide range of recommendations—addressing such issues as the modernization of U.S. strategic forces and infrastructure, regional defense capabilities, U.S. nuclear weapons employment policies, regional and homeland missile defenses, and arms control—aimed at deterring potential adversaries and reassuring U.S. allies and other security partners.

On September 22, the Brookings Arms Control and Non-Proliferation Initiative held a panel discussion on these critical nuclear arms and nuclear arms-related issues. Brookings Senior Fellow Robert Einhorn described the study, with commentary by three fellow signatories: James M. Acton, Madelyn R. Creedon, and Walter B. Slocombe. Brookings Senior Fellow and study signatory Steven Pifer moderated the discussion.