"This should be required reading for anyone who is, or hopes to be, a national security expert. McGiffin and Lowther have produced an essential examination of the current global nuclear posture and the dynamics of modern deterrence. Their analysis of US capabilities, requirements, and policy choices, as well as what must be done to counter the growing nuclear threats posed by our adversaries, is both authoritative and urgent." —Major General Garrett Harencak, former Commander, Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center and former Assistant Chief of Staff, Strategic Deterrence and Nuclear Integration

"Curtis McGiffin and Adam Lowther deliver a powerful and timely analysis of why strategic nuclear deterrence remains the foundation of American security and global stability. They remind us with clarity and conviction of what was once widely understood: that deterrence enabled the prosperity and safety of the Free World—and that such strength requires sustained national commitment. This book demonstrates how essential sustained deterrence is in the current era of international instability to preserving America’s global leadership. They warn that the degradation of the US nuclear weapons stockpile, delivery systems, command and control infrastructure, and national will threatens not only US strategic posture but also American global standing and the stabilizing role the United States plays in maintaining international order." —Brigadier General Jonathan George, US Air Force (ret.)

"An engaging and easy-to-understand overview of one of the most powerful—and often misunderstood—aspects of American defense: its nuclear arsenal. This book is important for anyone interested in understanding how nuclear weapons have influenced US strategy, their continued relevance today, and their ongoing effect on global peace, security, and stability. It helps readers see beyond headlines and stereotypes to understand how nuclear weapons and the deterrence they provide actually fit into America’s strategy for peace and security. It is a clear, compelling, and essential read for anyone interested in the complexities of nuclear deterrence and the strategic imperatives that drive American defense policies, shape the modern world, and ensure global peace and stability." —Brigadier General Gerald Goodfellow, US Air Force (ret.)

Curtis McGiffin is Vice President for Education and Co-founder of the National Institute for Deterrence Studies. He also serves on the faculty of Missouri State University’s School of Defense and Strategic Studies. Previously, he was the Associate Dean of the School of Strategic Force Studies at the Air Force Institute of Technology. He also was the Executive Director of the Louisiana Tech Research Institute. Colonel McGiffin retired with over 26 years of experience in the USAF as an aviator, commander, staff officer, and educator, most of which was supporting the USAF’s nuclear enterprise. Prior to his retirement from active duty, Colonel McGiffin was the Associate Dean of Faculty and Assistant Professor of Strategy and Deterrence at the National War College in Washington DC. He has served on the Joint Staff, HQ AF staff, and combatant command staff, as a squadron commander, and as the senior advisor to Iraq’s military Vice Chief of Staff. He was a Master Navigator and flight instructor with 2,750 flight hours in the E-4B, EC-135, KC-135 and T-43 aircraft.

Adam Lowther, PhD, is Vice President of Research at the National Institute for Deterrence Studies. He previously served as the Director of Strategic Deterrence Programs at the National Strategic Research Institute (NSRI), serving US Strategic Command. Prior to joining NSRI, Dr. Lowther served as the director of the department of multi-domain operations (MDO) at the Army Management Staff College (AMSC).. Prior to this assignment, Dr. Lowther was a Professor of Political Science at the Army’s School of Advanced Military Studies (SAMS). He also served as the founding director of the School of Advanced Nuclear Deterrence Studies (SANDS), Kirtland. Dr. Lowther was the director of the Center for Academic and Professional Journals at the Air Force Research Institute (AFRI), Maxwell AFB and a research professor at AFRI. Early in his career, Lowther served in the US Navy aboard the USS RAMAGE (DDG-61), at CINCUSNAVEUR–London, and with the Seabees (NMCB 17).

About the Contributors

Stephen Blank, PhD, is a Senior Fellow at the National Institute for Deterrence Studies. He was a Professor at the US Army War College for twenty-five years and is a Russia expert.

In-Bum Chun is a Senior Fellow at the National Institute for Deterrence Studies. He is a retired Lieutenant General in the Republic of Korea Army and the former head of that nation’s Special Forces Command.

Wally Clark, PhD, is a Senior Fellow at the National Institute for Deterrence Studies. He spent a career with the United States Air Force as a scientist and nuclear weapons effects expert.

Todd Clawson is a Fellow at the National Institute for Deterrence Studies and a retired Naval Officer. He specializes in military strategy and history, maritime strategy, China, and NATO.

Kirk Fansher is a Senior Fellow at the National Institute for Deterrence Studies and a retired US Air Force Colonel. He flew nuclear bombers and served in a number of key staff positions in the Pentagon.

Mica Hall, PhD, is a Senior Fellow at the National Institute for Deterrence Studies and a national security professional who specializes in Russian and former Soviet studies. She has supported defense professionals in training and analytic roles for more than two decades.

Peter Huessy is a Senior Fellow at the National Institute for Deterrence Studies. He has served as a nuclear policy and ICBM analyst in Washington, DC for more than four decades.

Jeff Larsen, PhD, is Senior Fellow at the National Institute for Deterrence Studies and a retired Air Force Officer. He is also a Research Professor at the Naval Postgraduate School and an expert on NC3.

Alex Littlefield, PhD, is a Senior Fellow at the National Institute for Deterrence Studies. He previously spent more than two decades living and working in China and Taiwan.

William Murphy is a Senior Fellow at the National Institute for Deterrence Studies. He is also a Major General in the US Air Force Reserves and an ICBM officer with a specialty in nuclear command, control, and communications.

James C. Petrosky, PhD, is the President of the National Institute for Deterrence Studies (NIDS). He is a retired nuclear engineering professor from the Air Force Institute of Technology and a retired US Army FA52 nuclear and countering weapons of mass destruction (CWMD) officer.

Carl Rhodes, PhD, is a Senior Fellow at the National Institute for Deterrence Studies and a Chemical Engineer. He previously spent twenty-five years on the technical staff of the RAND Corporation where he worked at the intersection of technology and policy.

Alexis Schlotterback is a Senior Analyst at the National Institute for Deterrence Studies and an Analyst at Los Alamos National Laboratory. She has spent her career in the National Nuclear Security Administration’s enterprise.

Doug Shahan is a Fellow at the National Institute for Deterrence Studies and a retired US Air Force communications officer. He currently serves as the Senior Advisor to the Joint Staff J-3, Director of Operations, for Command and Control.

John Swegle, PhD, is a Senior Fellow at the National Institute for Deterrence Studies. He spent a career as a weapons designer and intelligence officer at Savanah River National Laboratory, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and Sandia National Laboratory.

Matthew Sweeney is a retired Navy Captain and submarine officer. He currently serves as a principal engineer with General Dynamics Electric Boat.

Jonathan Trexel, PhD, is a Senior Fellow at the National Institute for Deterrence Studies and a retired Air Force intelligence professional. He currently serves on the staff of US Strategic Command.

Derek Williams is a Fellow a Fellow at the National Institute for Deterrence Studies and a Colonel in the United States Air Force. He is a B52 Weapons Officer and a graduate of both the US Air Force Weapons School and the Sandia Weapons Intern Program.

List of Abbreviations

Foreword by Brigadier General Gerald Goodfellow, US Air Force (ret.)

Chapter 1: Deterring the Threat (Curtis McGiffin)

Section I: Building the Bomb

Chapter 2: Nuclear Weapons Physics And Effects (Wallace Clark and James Petrosky)

Chapter 3: The Role of the National Nuclear Security Administration (John Swegle and Alexis Schlotterback)

Section II: Deploying and Employing Nuclear Weapons

Chapter 4: The Nuclear Bomber Force (Derek Williams and Kirk Fansher)

Chapter 5: Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (Peter Huessy and Carl Rhodes)

Chapter 6: Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missiles (Matthew Sweeney and Todd Clawson)

Chapter 7: Nuclear Command, Control, and Communications (William Murphy, Douglas Shahan, and Jeffrey Larsen)

Section III: The Adversaries

Chapter 8: Russia’s Nuclear Forces (Stephen Blank and Mica Hall)

Chapter 9: China’s Nuclear Forces (Alex Littlefield)

Chapter 10: North Korea’s Nuclear Forces (Chun In-Bum and Jonathan Trexel)

Chapter 11: Recommendations (Adam Lowther)

Glossary

Bibliography

Index