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AGA: Arbeitsgruppe Physik und Abrüstung
AGA 7: New Weapon Technologies and Arms Control
AGA 7.2: Invited Talk
Thursday, March 7, 2013, 15:00–16:00, HSZ-04
Future Directions for U.S.-Russian Nuclear Arms Control — •Ivan Oelrich — Elliott School of International Affairs, The George Washington University
This presentation will review the current status of nuclear weapon reductions under the U.S.-Russian New START agreement and some possibilities for next steps in nuclear arms control. Publicly presented proposals for future limitations will be evaluated to see how they enhance strategic stability and further the goal of eventual elimination of nuclear weapons. The presentation will then turn to the author's suggestions for additional approaches that will emphasize reducing the utility and importance of nuclear weapons rather than focusing primarily on reducing their number. How arms control agreements could be crafted to constrain nuclear weapon deployment will be described. The important interaction of nuclear offensive forces and missile defenses will be discussed as will the effects of the second tier of nuclear powers, France, U.K., and China. In general, arms control agreements should focus on reducing the alert levels of nuclear weapons, reducing their first strike capability while increasing their survivability, and making them useful for one mission only: to retaliate for, and thus deter, nuclear attack.