The Nuclear Posture Review and the Future of Nuclear Weapons

As the Obama administration prepares to release its highly anticipated Nuclear Posture Review, there are many challenging questions about the future of nuclear weapons. Through a joint year-long project, the Brookings Institution and the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research (AEI) examined ideas ranging from the relationship among the industrial base, nuclear weapons and delivery vehicles to the status of U.S.-Russia arms control negotiations.

On March 29, Brookings and AEI will present findings on the myriad worldwide roles of nuclear weapons and varying strategies regarding their existence, and host a discussion of the Obama administration’s goal of reducing weapons to a “global zero.” Thomas Donnelly, resident fellow and director of the Center for Defense Studies at AEI and Keith Payne, president of the National Institute of Public Policy, will join Brookings Senior Fellow Steven Pifer, director of the Arms Control Initiative at Brookings, to discuss a path forward in this important debate for the United States and world. Senior Fellow Michael O’Hanlon, director of research for Foreign Policy at Brookings, will provide introductory remarks and moderate the discussion. O’Hanlon is the author of the upcoming book, Skeptic’s Case for Global Zero (Princeton University Press, 2010).

After the program, panelists will take audience questions.

Discussion Papers

Michael O’Hanlon, “Thinking About Global Zero” (PDF)

Keith Payne: “How Much is Enough?: A Goal-Driven Approach to Defining Key Principles for Measuring the
Adequacy of U.S. Strategic Forces” (PDF)