Tactical Nuclear Weapons and NATO

<p>NATO has been a nuclear alliance since its inception. Nuclear weapons have served the dual purpose of being part of NATO military planning as well as being central to the Alliance's deterrence strategy. For over 4 decades NATO allies sought to find conventional and nuclear forces doctrines and agreed strategies that linked the defense of Europe to that of the United States. Still in light of the evolving security situation the Alliance must now consider the role and future of tactical or non-strategic nuclear weapons (NSNWs). Two clear conclusions emerge from this analysis. First in the more than 2 decades since the end of the Cold War the problem itself-that is the question of what to do with weapons designed in a previous century for the possibility of a World War III against a military alliance that no longer exists-is understudied both inside and outside of government. Tactical weapons although less awesome than their strategic siblings carry significant security and political risks and they have not received the attention that is commensurate to their importance. Second it is clear that whatever the future of these arms the status quo is unacceptable. It is past the time for NATO to make more resolute decisions find a coherent strategy and formulate more definite plans about its nuclear status. Consequently decisions about the role of nuclear weapons within the Alliance and the associated supporting analysis are fundamental to the future identity of NATO. At the Lisbon Summit in Portugal in November 2010 the Alliance agreed to conduct the Deterrence and Defense Posture Review (DDPR). This effort is designed to answer these difficult questions prior to the upcoming NATO Summit in May 2012. The United States and its closest allies must define future threats and in doing so clarify NATO's identity purpose and corresponding force requirements. So far NATO remains a nuclear alliance but it is increasingly hard to define what that means.</p><p>This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore you will see the original copyright references library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world) and other notations in the work.</p><p>This work is in the public domain in the United States of America and possibly other nations. Within the United States you may freely copy and distribute this work as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.</p><p>As a reproduction of a historical artifact this work may contain missing or blurred pages poor pictures errant marks etc. Scholars believe and we concur that this work is important enough to be preserved reproduced and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.</p><br>