Archive

nuclear weapons

RevCon Ended Without Consensus. Risk Reduction Did Not.

Despite the 2026 NPT Review Conference ending without consensus, growing multilateral support for nuclear risk reduction and crisis communication tools like IST's CATALINK Initiative signals a path forward for nuclear diplomacy.

crisis communications, disarmament, New START, Non-Proliferation, nuclear weapons, risk reduction

July 14, 2026

Meet the Andrew Carnegie AI-Nuclear Policy Accelerator Inaugural Cohort

IST introduces the 26 members of the inaugural Andrew Carnegie AI-Nuclear Policy Accelerator cohort, a program that will equip mid-career security practitioners with the tools to confront the intersection between AI and nuclear issues.

AI, announcement, arms control, artificial intelligence, fellows, ICBM, modernization, nuclear, nuclear weapons

April 9, 2026

Q&A: Approaching the Nuclear Brink?

With nuclear tensions on the rise, nuclear weapons have been in the headlines, and on our screens, lately. In the latest edition of the TechnologIST, IST’s Nuclear Policy team, Sylvia Mishra, Sahil V. Shah, Brandon Cortino, and Catherine Murphy discuss what the latest developments could mean for global security and stability.

AI, artificial intelligence, Moscow Treaty, NC3, New START Treaty, nuclear policy, nuclear weapons, strategic stability

November 24, 2025

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

Announcing Continued Support from the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs and the German Federal Foreign Office for the CATALINK Initiative

The Institute for Security and Technology (IST) is pleased to announce the generous political and financial support from the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs and the German Federal Foreign Office Germany to continue the CATALINK Initiative through 2027.

CATALINK, crisis communications, disarmament, mesh networks, nuclear weapons, risk reduction

January 21, 2025

October 30, 2024 10:00 am

Improving Nuclear Hotlines: Experts Speak

On Thursday, July 18, IST hosted a virtual conversation with the authors of a series of publications on improving nuclear hotlines in country-specific contexts.

crisis communications, hotline, India, nuclear, nuclear weapons, Pakistan, Russia, UK

July 18, 2024

Frequently Asked Questions about the CATALINK initiative

What is CATALINK? What are the CATALINK components? Why is it needed? Answers to commonly asked questions about the CATALINK initiative.

hotlines, mesh network, nuclear, nuclear crisis communications, nuclear weapons, security, strategic stability

May 22, 2023

March 29, 2022 12:00 pm

Iran, the JCPOA, and Holding Back a Breakout

After a year of negotiations on a renewed Iran nuclear deal, Washington and Tehran’s inability to finalize an agreed way forward remain a fulcrum of foreign policy discussions worldwide.

Iran, JCPOA, nuclear proliferation, nuclear weapons

March 29, 2022

March 15, 2022 3:30 pm

North Korea, Testing, and the Failures of Containment

North Korea is undeniably a nuclear weapons power, having repeatedly demonstrated both its explosive technology and delivery systems—so what is Pyongyang trying to achieve with ongoing tests and provocations? With existential security seemingly on the line, is continued proliferation a give-in, or can new diplomatic approaches be found? And what can be expected in the decade to come?

North Korea, nuclear proliferation, nuclear weapons

March 15, 2022

February 15, 2022 2:00 pm

Hedges, Technology, & the Future of Proliferation

When states seek to bolster their own security, they often consider some degree of nuclear weapons development along the way. More than just “sprinting for a bomb,” states have many paths and degrees of proliferation options available to them.

hedging, nuclear proliferation, nuclear weapons

February 15, 2022

November 4, 2021 3:30 pm

Cyber Threats and Nuclear Weapons: A Conversation with Dr. Herb Lin

On November 4, 2021 CEO Philip Reiner hosted a public conversation with Dr. Lin about his book, the latest happenings with American NC3, and what it will take to imagine—and prepare for—a new generation of risks to nuclear weapons.

cybersecurity, NC3, nuclear modernization, nuclear weapons

November 4, 2021

In the News, Op-ed

Zoom Won’t Stop A Nuclear War

In an article for Foreign Policy, Sahil Shah and Leah Walker make the case that although the red telephone is gone, a new generation of nuclear hotlines is sorely needed to manage international crises.

CATALINK, crisis communications, India, Innovation and Catastrophic Risk, nuclear hotlines, nuclear war, nuclear weapons, Pakistan, Soviet Union

April 19, 2021

In the News, Podcast

Back Story with Dana Lewis: Nuclear Hotlines

Philip Reiner joined the podcast Back Story with Dana Lewis to discuss a proposal for a nuclear hotline for nations with nuclear weapons.

CATALINK, crisis communications, hotline, Innovation and Catastrophic Risk, nuclear, nuclear weapons, Soviet Union

March 3, 2021

Hotline Between Two Koreas: Status, Limitations and Future Tasks

In this paper, Moon Chung-in and Boo Seung-Chan provide historical context on the hotlines linking South and North Korea and point to the lessons that can be learned from the decades-long effort.

CATALINK, communication, communication link, crisis, crisis management, escalation, history, hotlines, Innovation and Catastrophic Risk, NC3, nuclear, nuclear security, nuclear weapon, nuclear weapon states, nuclear weapons, nuclear-use, secure communications

December 17, 2020

Formal Methods for NC3 Systems

What if we told you there is a very concrete way of updating and securing the most complex NC3 systems? Adam Wick makes the case for future NC3 protocol descriptions "to include not only a broad description of the protocol and its goals, but also an executable specification of the protocol. He continues, "Given the sensitivity of these systems, we believe that the use of proof is critical."

communication, control, crisis management, formal methods, mathematics, NC3, nuclear, nuclear security, nuclear weapons, nuclear-use

September 17, 2020

NC3 Threats: Insider Edition

Philip Reiner and Peter Hayes sit down with Dr. Ronald Schouten to discuss insider threats to nuclear command, control, and communications.

insider threats, nuclear command, nuclear weapons, risk

November 14, 2019