Nuclear Weapons & Global Security 101
Since its beginning, UCS has worked to reduce the threat to humanity and the earth posed by nuclear weapons. Now–for the first time in two decades—a national discussion is underway about reducing the role of nuclear weapons in U.S. security policy and the size of the U.S. nuclear arsenal. Prominent former policy makers of both parties have highlighted the importance of working toward a world without nuclear weapons. UCS is playing a central role in this discussion.
UCS has also long worked to prevent the deployment of U.S. defenses against long-range missiles, which would be ineffective and stand in the way of reducing nuclear threats. These defenses could easily be defeated by simple countermeasures. Despite this reality, as long as Russia and China believe their long-range nuclear-armed missiles are essential to deterring the United States from attacking, they will view missile defenses as threatening and respond in ways that decrease international security.
We are working to prevent terrorists from acquiring nuclear weapons by limiting the nuclear materials needed to build these weapons. We are helping to ensure that outer space does not become a battleground and that it can continue to be used for communication, navigation, and earth monitoring far into the future. And we are helping to improve U.S. understanding of China and enhance international dialogue on security issues.
Our experts conduct technical analyses of weapon systems, study the impacts and effectiveness of security policies, and develop and advocate more effective options.
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