The author argues that for the U.S. nuclear arsenal to remain an effective deterrent, our nuclear weapons "must have greatly increased accuracy, reduced yields, specialized capabilities (such as deep earth penetration) and tailored effects (such as ability to neutralize chemical-biological agents)."

Advances in nanotechnology, genetics and nuclear isomers are permitting the production of a new generation of weapons intended to maintain future US military superiority and deter "rogue states" and terrorists.

Michael Levi of the Brookings Institute challenges the technical assumptions made by the Pentagon's Defense Science Board in their recent report, Future Strategic Strike Forces, which called for developing new low-yield nuclear weapons.

U.S. efforts to expand research into new, miniature nuclear weapons could lead Russia to begin contemplating similar efforts according to Russian nuclear nonproliferation experts.

The Bush administration says in a new report to Congress that a recently repealed ban on U.S. low-yield nuclear weapons research and development will not harm U.S. nonproliferation diplomacy or encourage proliferation, as critics have charged.

The U.S. Defense Science Board has recommended major changes to the United States' nuclear arsenal, saying the current plans to refurbish the existing weapons stockpile will not protect the nation from new threats from rogue states and terrorist groups.
Specifically, they make the case for low-yield nuclear weapons and conventionally armed ICBMs.

[ Link to Full Study from Federation of American Scientists ]

Congress, with only a limited debate, has given the Bush administration a green light for the biggest revitalization of the country's nuclear weapons program since the end of the Cold War, leaving many Democrats and even some hawkish Republicans seething.

Jeremy Tamsett reviews the debate over low-yield nuclear weapons and responds to arguments against their development. He argues that "it may now be time for U.S. nuclear policy to incorporate low-yield nuclear weapons into its force matrix in order to more credibly communicate its deterrent posture."

The United States is embarking on a multimillion-dollar expansion of its nuclear arsenal, prompting fears it may lead the world into a new arms race. The Bush administration is pushing ahead with the development of a new generation of weapons, dubbed 'mini-nukes', that use nuclear warheads to penetrate underground bunkers.

The Japanese government expresses concern over the recent U.S. decision to develop a new generation of low-yield nuclear weapons.