Nuclear Issues in Strategic Competition

The rise of strategic competition as the defining feature of the contemporary strategic environment has renewed the discussion of the threats posed by nuclear states. China, Russia, and North Korea are all nuclear powers, and Iran has aspirations in this area. Yet each of these states poses different nuclear weapons risks. Within its counterweapons of mass destruction mandate, how can SOF best understand and prepare against the most likely and most dangerous threats emanating from these disparate states? What could appropriate responses look like against a wide variety of nuclear threats?

• Clemmensen, Col. Andrew, "How Sustainable Are Defense and Deterrence Methods in Light of Iran's Attack," AF Fellow research, published by The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, May 6, 2024.
• Stutzriem, Maj. Stephen E., "Fending Off: How Nuclear Modernization is Critical to Deterrence in an Era of Multi-Polar Great Power Competition," GCPME thesis, 2024, 46 pgs.