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2019
Report
The Non-State Dimensions of Nuclear Command, Control, Communications
Dr. Gary Ackerman introduces how violent non-state actors (VSNAs) may approach the command and control of nuclear weapons and suggests that understanding the complexity presented by VNSA NC3 entails considering traditional concepts of state NC3 and dynamics that are unique to non-state actors driven by a variety of goals and confronting a different set of constraints from those of states.
biological
,
casualties
,
casualty
,
chemical
,
cold war
,
conventional
,
detection
,
fail deadly
,
fail impotent
,
fissile
,
leadership
,
NC3
,
non-state actor
,
nuclear
,
organization
,
psychology
,
Russia
,
scenario
,
Secretary of Defense
,
stability
,
strategic
,
terrorism
,
terrorist
,
United States
August 29, 2019
Report
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
Report
Emerging Technologies, Emerging Challenges: The Potential Employment of New Technologies in Future PLA NC3
Elsa Kania assesses how emerging technologies—including artificial intelligence, cloud computing, fifth-generation telecommunications, and quantum communications—may affect China’s NC3. Kania concludes: “Although certain of these technologies could enhance China’s confidence in its NC3 in ways that may prove stabilizing, there are also reasons for concern that the potential introduction of such complex, untested technologies could also create new risks and exacerbate the threat of miscalculation.”
5G
,
AI
,
China
,
cyberspace
,
early warning
,
fiber-optic
,
fifth generation
,
force posture
,
hypersonic
,
jamming
,
missile penetration
,
mobile missile
,
modernization
,
NC3
,
nuclear
,
PLA
,
quantum
,
radio
,
rapid reaction
,
risk
,
rocket force
,
satellite
,
second artillery force
,
secure
,
secure communications
,
stability
,
submarine
,
super low frequency
,
targeting
,
technologies
,
underwater communications
,
very low frequency
,
war-fighting
September 5, 2019
Report
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.
deterrence
,
Dual Capable Aircraft
,
dual-key
,
firing message
,
forward bases
,
Global Positioning System
,
helicopter
,
intercontinental ballistic missile
,
nuclear
,
permissive action link
,
Scotland
,
stability
,
Strategic Weapons Facility
,
strike command
,
submarine
,
transmission path
,
Trident
,
United Kingdom
,
USAF Strategic Air Command
August 15, 2019
Report
Nuclear Command, Control and Communications (NC3): The Case of Pakistan
Author Feroz Khan illustrates the unique challenges facing Pakistan's NC3 systems. When considering the rapid pace of technological advancements, Khan concludes, "as NC3 gains sophistication, control of partial or full pre-delegation regimes would likely be refined to overcome the never/always dilemma of deployed arsenals in the field."
delegation
,
India
,
military
,
nuclear
,
nuclear arsenal
,
Pakistan
,
stability
September 26, 2019
Report
Innovation and Adaptive Control in America’s Electric Infrastructure: Parallels to NC3
Providing unique insights into the performance of highly complex command and control systems from a radically different perspective, Mason Willrich describes how each of the major components of electricity infrastructure is interconnected and interactive with the others. How can this be illustrative for thinking about the challenges - and solutions - for nuclear command and control?
climate change
,
cyber
,
distribution
,
electric power
,
energy
,
hardware
,
infrastructure
,
interconnection
,
internet
,
nuclear
,
nuclear energy
,
power plant
,
regulation
,
sensor
,
sensors
,
software
,
stability
,
transmission
,
transportation
October 3, 2019
Report
Israel’s NC3 Profile: Opaque Nuclear Governance
In this essay, Avner Cohen traces and exposes Israel’s two most fundamental principles of the Israeli NC3 thinking: first, insisting on a strict physical and organizational separation between nuclear and non-nuclear assets, and second, its two-tier governance architecture.
architecture
,
Israel
,
Middle East
,
national security
,
NC3
,
NPT
,
nuclear
,
nuclear program
,
stability
October 10, 2019
Report
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.
accident
,
accuracy revolution
,
air defense
,
alert level
,
arms race
,
artificial intelligence
,
cold war
,
conventional weapon
,
crisis instability
,
data
,
decision-making
,
deterrence
,
escalation
,
force planning
,
modernization
,
NATO
,
NC3
,
nuclear
,
preemptive strike
,
stability
,
survivability
October 17, 2019
Report
A New Framework for Thinking about Regional NC3
“All states delegate—that is, cede the ability to use nuclear weapons, irrespective of the authority to do so—at some point. The question is when," concludes Vipin Narang.
assured retaliation
,
ballistic missiles
,
civil-military
,
deterrent
,
fog of war
,
information environment
,
No First Use
,
nuclear
,
permissive action link
,
personnel procedures
,
positive control
,
redundant
,
reliability
,
stability
,
strategic
,
submarine
September 19, 2019
Report
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
Report
Law, Targeting and Nuclear Weapons
This report by William Boothby seeks to explain the law of armed conflict rules that regulate respectively the resort to nuclear force and the use of nuclear force during an international armed conflict and to provide an accepted baseline for the dissemination of the law with a view to achieving a common understanding and acceptance of it by all nuclear States.
API
,
armed conflict
,
civilian
,
first strike
,
Geneva Conventions
,
International Court of Justice
,
NC3
,
nuclear
,
planning
,
territorial integrity
,
threat
,
United Nations
,
warfare
October 21, 2019
Report
Counter Nuclear Command, Control and Communications
This report by Carol Ann Jones seeks to introduce the nuclear command, control, and stability framework; collect open source NC3 system information on the eight declared nuclear nations to fill in the framework; describe counter NC3 activities; and introduce a few alternate NC3 approaches that may contribute to nuclear stability.
anti-satellite
,
bias
,
C3
,
command and control
,
communication
,
complexity
,
electromagnetic pulse
,
launch authority
,
modernization
,
NC3
,
Nuclear Posture Review
,
special operation
,
stability
,
strike
,
supply chain
,
threshold
,
vulnerability
,
warhead
,
warning
November 7, 2019
Report
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
Report
For Better or for Worse: The Future of C3I Entanglement
James Acton evaluates the risk of inadvertent escalation arising from attacks on dual-use (nuclear and conventional warfare) command, control, communication, and intelligence (C3I) capabilities in a conventional war because such attacks would degrade the target’s nuclear command-and-control system.
anti-satellite
,
ballistic missile
,
boost-glide
,
C3I
,
capabilities
,
cyber
,
defense
,
dyad
,
early warning
,
geopolitical
,
high-precision munition
,
hypersonic
,
incidental attacks
,
intelligence
,
launch under attack
,
military
,
nuclear
,
orbits
,
radar
,
stability
,
strategic
,
war
,
warfighting
November 21, 2019
AAR
,
Report
AI and the Military: Forever Altering Strategic Stability
IST and the Center for Global Security Research in 2018 convened workshops to explore the role of AI in 21st century security context. Should we be concerned about an “AI arms race”? What are the risks of unintended consequences and strategic surprise driven by AI?
arms race
,
artificial intelligence
,
drone
,
electromagnetic pulse
,
machine learning
,
national security
,
strategic stability
February 13, 2019
AAR
Social Media Storms and Early Warning Systems: A Deep Dive and Speed Scenarios Workshop
In 2018, IST, the Preventative Defense Project at Stanford University, Nautilus Institute, and N2 Collaborative hosted a workshop on social media storms and early warning systems.
de-escalation
,
diplomacy
,
NC3
,
nuclear weapons
,
scenarios
,
social media
,
threat assessment
January 8, 2019
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