High-tech advances in weapons technologies and a return of 'great power nuclear politics', risk the world 'sleepwalking' into a nuclear age vastly different from the established order of the Cold War, according to new research undertaken at the University of Leicester.

Andrew Futter, Professor of International Politics at the University of Leicester, makes the warning in a research paper for the Hiroshima Organization for Global Peace (HOPe), published (Friday).

While stockpiles are much reduced from the peak of up to 70,000 nuclear weapons seen in the 1980s, progress in a number of new or 'disruptive' technologies threatens to fundamentally change the central pillars on which nuclear order, stability and risk reduction are based.

Modern nuclear weapons - acknowledged to be held by nine countries including the USA, Russia and UK - are more capable and more precise than their Cold War counterparts, and at the same time, are being augmented by a new suite of strategic non-nuclear weapons that might be used against or instead of nuclear weapons.

Advances in offensive capabilities have, however, been matched in increasingly sophisticated sensing, tracking and processing technologies designed to detect, prevent and in some cases respond to a nuclear strike - often using Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Professor Futter said: "While we've seen a substantial reduction in the number of nuclear weapons held across the world, it's important to remember that this reduction came about as much as a result of rationalisation than a genuine drive to disarm. After all, you can't destroy a city twice, and it takes an enormous amount of money to build and maintain this technology.

"We've seen massive advances in the capabilities of these weapons and their support systems in the 30 years since the end of the Cold War, and there's a danger that this means the established rulebook of nuclear doctrine could be thrown out of the window."

However, there are potential political solutions as the world prepares to enter what Professor Futter terms a 'Third Nuclear Age'. He continued:

"Choosing the correct pathway for our nuclear future was hard enough in the past and there is no suggestion it will become any easier as we move into a new, potentially more complex and dynamic chapter in the nuclear story.

"Policy proposals to manage the challenges of the Third Nuclear Age are therefore inherently bound by whether one believes the best approach is to take our nuclear world as it is and seek to manage it through restraint, arms control, and norms; or whether it is possible to transition to a world where nuclear weapons no longer exist through sustained moral, ethical, legal and perhaps technological pressure."

Research Report:Deterrence, Disruptive Technology and Disarmament in the Third Nuclear Age

Research Report:Disruptive Technologies and Nuclear Risks: What's New and What Matters

Related Links
Third Nuclear Age
Learn about nuclear weapons doctrine and defense at SpaceWar.com
Learn about missile defense at SpaceWar.com
All about missiles at SpaceWar.com
Learn about the Superpowers of the 21st Century at SpaceWar.com

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

Zelensky repeats warning over Russian nuclear weapons
Kyiv, Ukraine (AFP) April 16, 2022
The world should prepare for the possible use by Russia of nuclear weapons, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky told journalists Saturday, repeating an earlier warning. "We shouldn't wait for the moment when Russia decides to use nuclear weapons," he said in an interview with Ukrainian news media. "We must prepare for that." Anti-radiation medicine and air raid shelters would be needed, he said. The Russians, he said, "can use any weapon, I'm convinced of it". The interview was relaye ... read more