Archive

deterrence

Cyber Redlines and China: Taking Advantage of the Trump-Xi Meeting

Cyber Redlines and China: Taking Advantage of the Trump-Xi Meeting

Chinese military hackers known as Volt Typhoon are pre-positioning in U.S. power grids, water plants, and transportation systems. In a new op-ed, Elizabeth Vish makes the case that finally getting Chinese hackers out of U.S. critical infrastructure should start at the Trump-Xi meeting, but it can’t end there.

China, cost imposition, critical infrastructure, denial, deterrence, National Cyber Strategy, redline, Russia, sanctions, Trump, Xi

May 14, 2026

The United States’ Nuclear Command, Control, and Communications (NC3) Operations

The United States’ Nuclear Command, Control, and Communications (NC3) Operations

IST's Brandon Cortino and Catherine Murphy co-authored a primer that serves to create a stronger understanding of the systems comprising the U.S. NC3 network, summarize modernization plans, and explore the challenges that emerge in an increasingly uncertain threat environment.

command, communications, control, Department of Defense, deterrence, EDTs, modernization, NC3, nuclear, stability

May 7, 2026

IST Experts Weigh in on the 2026 Cyber Strategy

IST Experts Weigh in on the 2026 Cyber Strategy

Today’s Cyber Strategy for America outlined six key priorities for the administration’s “cyber vision.” IST experts weigh in on what’s there, what isn’t, and what the plan means for cybersecurity going forward.

critical infrastructure, cyber offense, cybersecurity, deterrence, National Cybersecurity Strategy, Strategy, White House

March 6, 2026

Foreign Policy: Trump’s Vagueness Over Nuclear Testing Could Fuel an Arms Race

In the News, Op-ed

Foreign Policy: Trump’s Vagueness Over Nuclear Testing Could Fuel an Arms Race

The delicate balance of nuclear deterrence relies on clarity. But what happens when a major power embraces ambiguity on a core issue like weapons testing? IST Senior Policy Advisor Sahil V. Shah calls for clarification in a new op-ed in Foreign Policy.

arms race, deterrence, nuclear, nuclear weapons, strategic stability, testing

October 31, 2025

Bridging the Policy, Military, and Technology Fields: IST Hosts Critical Workshop on AI in Nuclear Command, Control, and Communication Systems

Bridging the Policy, Military, and Technology Fields: IST Hosts Critical Workshop on AI in Nuclear Command, Control, and Communication Systems

On April 10, 2025, the Institute for Security and Technology’s (IST) Innovation and Catastrophic Risk team hosted a scenario-driven workshop titled "The Risks and Opportunities of AI in NC3: Finding Common Ground," with cross-sector experts in Washington, DC.

adaptive targeting, AI, crisis communication, decision support, deterrence, NC3, nuclear, nuclear command, nuclear control, strategic stability, strategic warning

April 29, 2025

Artificial Intelligence Integration in NC3: Implications for the Global Nuclear Order

September 9, 2024 3:00 pm

Artificial Intelligence Integration in NC3: Implications for the Global Nuclear Order

IST hosted a side event at the 2024 REAIM Summit in Seoul, South Korea on the intersection of AI and nuclear weapons and its implications for nuclear deterrence and strategic stability.

AI, artificial intelligence, decision making, deterrence, escalation, miscommunication, NC3, nuclear, strategic stability

September 9, 2024

U.S. Nuclear Command and Control for the 21st Century

U.S. Nuclear Command and Control for the 21st Century

Dr. John Harvey calls for fixing the legacy NC2 system, including the so-called “thin line” architecture, to address Cold War-era nuclear scenarios which have not yet gone away, developing an NC2 concept and associated architecture to address “modern” nuclear conflict, and generating a plan to field it over the next 10-15 years.

21st century, alert posture, cold war, command, communication, conflict, control, deterrence, NC2, NC3, nuclear, resilience, stability, strategic, Strategy, sustainment

May 23, 2019

Command and Control of Nuclear Weapons in India

Command and Control of Nuclear Weapons in India

M.V. Ramana and Lauren Borja analyze the state of nuclear command and control in India, concluding that the state of Indian NC3 “has been shaped by an ongoing rivalry between civilian authorities and the military."

accident, communication, control, decision-making, defense, delivery vehicle, deterrence, early warning, India, military, NC3, nuclear, Pakistan, stability, submarine, survivability, United States, wargaming

August 1, 2019

Nuclear Command, Control, and Communications: U.S. Country Profile

In "Nuclear Command, Control, and Communications: U.S. Country Profile," Jeffrey Larsen argues that, for the last 75 years, the deterrence forces of the United States have relied on the credible threat of nuclear weapons use to prevent adversarial attacks.

authority, C2, command, communication, control, deterrence, NC3, nuclear, policy, president, stability, strategic, Strategy, United States, US, World War II

August 22, 2019

NC3 Decision Making: Individual Versus Group Process

NC3 Decision Making: Individual Versus Group Process

Dr. Alex Wallerstein sketches a framework for thinking about how concentrated nuclear use authority should be at the top. While he discusses specific U.S. proposals for reform in response to recent domestic debates, the scope of his analysis is uniquely global and includes a comparative analysis of the approach of all nine nuclear weapons states.

civil-military, cold war, congress, Constitution, deterrence, enrichment, migration, NC3, nuclear codes, Senate, stability, status quo, STRATCOM, Strategy, UK

August 8, 2019

United Kingdom: Nuclear Weapons Command, Control, and Communications

United Kingdom: Nuclear Weapons Command, Control, and Communications

Rear Admiral John Gower argues that the UK Nuclear Weapon Command Control and Communications (UK NC3) architecture is designed and operated to support SSBN strategic nuclear deterrence in all foreseeable circumstances from peacetime to nuclear conflict. "Through multiple paths and frequencies, fall-back and alternative systems, and with dedicated and unique encryption and processes, it delivers continuous availability for the Prime Minister should a decision to launch be made," he says.

August 15, 2019

NC3 and Crisis Instability: Growing Dangers in the 21st Century

NC3 and Crisis Instability: Growing Dangers in the 21st Century

Daryl Press focuses on the growing threats to nuclear command and control and communication (NC3) systems around the world and the links between vulnerable NC3 and strategic instability due to the risky steps that nuclear weapons states may adopt to protect their arsenals during crises or wars.

October 17, 2019

What Do We Want From the Nuclear Command and Control System?

What Do We Want From the Nuclear Command and Control System?

In this essay from IST and the Nautilus Institute, Paul Davis suggests that U.S. NC3 modernization “should place increased emphasis on assuring control, avoiding accidents, and avoiding ill-informed or unwise employment of nuclear weapons.”

authorization, deterrence, first strike, intelligence, launch under attack, limited war, modernization, NC3, nuclear policy, redundancy, retaliation, stability, strategic, warfighting, zero-tolerance

October 24, 2019

NC3 Insider Threats

NC3 Insider Threats

Ron Schouten examines fundamental concepts of insider threats and provides an overview of the extent and significance of insider threats in US and other NC3 systems.

Bystander Effect, capability, chemical, civilian, classified materials, critical infrastructure, deterrence, espionage, IAEA, information systems, insider threat, NC3, nuclear, organizational culture, stability, threat, vulnerability

November 14, 2019

Roundtable Discussion: AI and Human Decision Making

Roundtable Discussion: AI and Human Decision Making

On June 29, 2018, Technology for Global Security and the Center for Global Security Research hosted a roundtable discussion. The discussion specifically investigated the potential security implications of these technologies as they are considered for use in military capacities. The discussion was attended by a mix of academics, research scientists, venture capitalists, civil society, and industry.

artificial intelligence, autonomous weapons, black box, cyber attacks, decision-making, deterrence, disinformation, ethics, military, stability

November 28, 2018

Assessing the Strategic Effects of Artificial Intelligence

Assessing the Strategic Effects of Artificial Intelligence

On September 20-21, 2018, the Center for Global Security Research (CGSR) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), in collaboration with IST, hosted a workshop to examine the implications of advances in artificial intelligence (AI) on international security and strategic stability.

artificial intelligence, decision-making, deterrence, instability, modernization, nuclear war, quantum, stability, surveillance

September 20, 2018