Author Archives: Constance Baroudos, M.A.
Missile Defense of the American Homeland Must Be Transformed More countries have nuclear weapons today than ever before, and non-state actors are trying to join the trend. Deterrence of aggression using purely offensive forces is becoming trickier, and the U.S. therefore must strengthen its active defense of the homeland [Read More...]
Inaction on Russian Treaty Violations Undercuts U.S. Credibility Russia has violated international agreements by annexing Crimea and has likely breached the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty by testing prohibited missiles. These developments suggest Washington should tread cautiously when dealing with Russia in the future. Ironically, though, the Pentagon [Read More...]
A Unique Approach To Modernizing Nuclear Warheads Nearly every warhead type in the United States nuclear stockpile will be life-extended or retired in the next two decades. The National Nuclear Security Administration has proposed a 25-year plan to remodel nuclear warheads, called “three-plus-two,” that also would reduce [Read More...]
The E-6 TACAMO Enables America’s Nuclear Deterrent Equipped to each carry two dozen multiple-warhead Trident II ballistic missiles, the Navy’s 14 Ohio-class submarines comprise the most survivable part of the U.S. nuclear deterrent. But those subs would be nearly useless without E-6 Mercury TACAMO (“Take Charge And [Read More...]
ICBMs Are Essential to America’s Strategic Second-Strike Capability One critical aspect of nuclear deterrence is a nation’s second-strike capability — its capacity to respond to an aggressor’s assault with nuclear arms that have not been destroyed as a result of the initial attack. America maintains a triad consisting [Read More...]
Modernization Of Minuteman III Needs To Begin Now The Minuteman missile is a core component of the U.S. nuclear triad originally created in the late 1950s. Minuteman missiles were deployed in underground silos in the Great Plains in the early 1960s to deter a Soviet nuclear attack. Some [Read More...]
IAEA is Making Headway On Agreement With Iran The Joint Statement on Framework for Cooperation signed by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and Iran has enhanced the transparency of Tehran’s nuclear program. It includes six steps that will help the international community gain a better understanding of [Read More...]
A Clash Of Views On How To Negotiate With Iran The purpose of negotiation is to resolve points of difference between two or more parties. When it comes to Iran’s nuclear program, what the international community is willing to accept remains to be seen. As negotiations continue to reach a [Read More...]
Virginia Needs More Charter Schools Last month, the Virginia Board of Education took up consideration of a new proposal for a charter high school for Richmond, a college preparatory academy designed to provide boys from low-income, urban households with an education its leaders say is [Read More...]
Two Steps Forward In Missile Defense Missile-defense advocates are concerned that rogue nations may develop long-range nuclear missile capabilities. As a result, some support the construction of a third U.S. missile-defense site which would increase battle space to detect and destroy incoming missiles. In response to [Read More...]