Archive

nuclear

Preventing and Managing Nuclear Crises in the 21st Century

April 30, 2025 12:15 pm

Preventing and Managing Nuclear Crises in the 21st Century

In a side event at the 2025 Non-Proliferation Treaty PrepCom at the United Nations, IST and the VCDNP co-hosted a panel discussion to investigate how states can more readily reduce the risks of and ultimately prevent nuclear crises and conflicts in the 21st century.

Germany, Non-Proliferation, nuclear, nuclear crisis communications, Switzerland, United Nations

April 30, 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

Command, Complexity, and the Future: A Conversation on AI and the Nuclear Enterprise

April 29, 2025 5:00 pm

Command, Complexity, and the Future: A Conversation on AI and the Nuclear Enterprise

In preparation for the April 29, 2025 workshop "The Risks and Opportunities of AI in NC3: Finding Common Ground," Philip Reiner sat down with General C. Robert Kehler, USAF (Ret.), former Commander, U.S. Strategic Command for a conversation on AI and the nuclear enterprise.

AI, artificial intelligence, NC3, nuclear, nuclear enterprise, Strategic Command

April 29, 2025

IST Launching New Initiative with Support from Longview Philanthropy Focused on the Integration of AI into Nuclear Command, Control, and Communications

IST Launching New Initiative with Support from Longview Philanthropy Focused on the Integration of AI into Nuclear Command, Control, and Communications

A new initiative with Longview Philanthropy will continue our work on exploring how advanced AI capabilities might be integrated into nuclear command, control, and communications systems.

artificial intelligence, NC3, nuclear, strategic stability

November 1, 2024

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

Improving Nuclear Hotlines: Experts Speak

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

Strengthening Resilience in 21st Century Crisis Communications

Strengthening Resilience in 21st Century Crisis Communications

In Strengthening Resilience in 21st Century Crisis Communications, authors Alexa Wehsener and Sylvia Mishra draw on insight from a group of high-level policymakers, diplomats, and technical experts in attendance at IST's London workshop earlier this year to examine the vulnerabilities of existing crisis communications channels and offer possible solutions.

after action report, CATALINK, diplomacy, nuclear, nuclear risk reduction

July 20, 2023

Frequently Asked Questions about the CATALINK initiative

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

The Nuclear Risk Reduction Approach: A Useful Path Forward for Crisis Mitigation

The Nuclear Risk Reduction Approach: A Useful Path Forward for Crisis Mitigation

In an article for Asia-Pacific Leadership Network, IST’s Sylvia Mishra highlights the importance of advancing the nuclear risk reduction approach and explains why IST’s CATALINK Initiative should be incorporated as a component of such an approach.

crisis communications, NC3, nuclear, nuclear risk reduction, Russo-Ukraine War

January 27, 2023

Forecasting the AI and Nuclear Landscape

Forecasting the AI and Nuclear Landscape

This report, the product of a partnership between IST and Metaculus, aims to assess the risks of escalation between the U.S. and China, including by the integration of AI into NC3.

AI, China, command, communications, control, Innovation and Catastrophic Risk, nuclear

September 21, 2022

The CATALINK Brief

The CATALINK Brief

Learn more about the CATALINK initiative, which combines radical simplicity, open source design, formal methods for NC3, and international collaboration and outreach.

CATALINK, hotlines, Innovation and Catastrophic Risk, nuclear

August 1, 2021

Back Story with Dana Lewis: Nuclear Hotlines

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

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

Building Communications Norms Across Nuclear C2

Building Communications Norms Across Nuclear C2

Dr. Salma Shaheen stresses the importance of establishing new norms, constructing new practices, and securing reliant communications between nuclear-armed states before a potential crisis. Shaheen reaffirms the need for a direct communication link between global leaders to facilitate quick and efficient communications between nuclear-armed states — a capability she cites as essential for escalation control and nuclear weapons reduction, with a direct impact on crisis aversion and thus global security.

CATALINK, communication, control, crisis, crisis management, escalation, history, hotlines, NC3, nuclear, nuclear security, nuclear weapon, nuclear-use, secure communications

November 24, 2020

Nuclear Hotlines: Origins, Evolution, Applications

Nuclear Hotlines: Origins, Evolution, Applications

Dr. Steven E. Miller gives an overview of experiences to-date with nuclear hotlines. He reviews the history of the US-Russia hotline, describes the ways that hotlines can be used or misused, and charts how the hotline concept has evolved and propagated to help states manage international crises. Hotlines are important, if imperfect, tools for avoiding nuclear conflict.

CATALINK, crisis, crisis management, de-escalation, escalation, history, hotlines, NC3, nuclear, nuclear security, nuclear weapon, nuclear-use, secure communications

October 28, 2020

Formal Methods for NC3 Systems

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