Deterrence in a New Security Environment

Public debate on nuclear arms control tends to focus on numbers of weapons; the most important criterion in assessing prospective arms control measures is whether or not they contribute to stability and security. The United States and Russia have achieved many advances in arms control and strategic stability since the end of the Cold War. Radical reductions in forces or the wholesale removal of forces from alert may create situations which could be dangerously destabilizing in a crisis. States with the potential to threaten the United States and its allies continue to seek nuclear, biological and chemical weapons. The United States must be prepared to pose unacceptable risks to any potential adversary, at the moment, nuclear weapons are an indispensable part of that capability. In a way not always appreciated, America's nuclear forces also complement efforts to restrict nuclear proliferation by extending an important deterrent guarantee to our allies.