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31/10/2011
'Worrying Developments' In Nuclear Race - Report
A report issued on Monday has said there are "worrying developments" in the development of nuclear force amongst the world’s nuclear armed states.
The report, called Beyond the UK: Trends in the Other Nuclear Armed States, by Trident Commission Consultant Dr Ian Kearns , argues the evidence suggests there will be a new era of "global nuclear force modernisation and growth”.
The report is the first from the BASIC Trident Commission and outlines a number of key findings and criticises "government rhetoric" over disarmament.
The report said: "Despite all the recent disarmament rhetoric, there is no evidence that any of the currently nuclear armed states are actively contemplating a future without nuclear weapons"
The report found that the potential for nuclear weapons use is growing and that major development or nuclear force modernisation programmes are underway in India, China, the US, Russia, and Pakistan.
"Israel is on course to develop an inter-continental ballistic missile; India is developing a whole suite of new missiles with longer ranges; Several states are trying to build smaller nuclear warheads for tactical use," the report said.
The report goes as far to argue that the evidence points to "new nuclear arms races" and that hundreds of billions of US dollars was being spent over the coming decade.
The report said: "Despite the need for major powers to cooperatively address the challenges of globalisation, nuclear deterrence thinking is still very evident in the defence policies of all the major powers; and the New START treaty, while a welcome return to arms control, has a number of loopholes meaning that its affect on disarmament is minimal."
In the UK, former Defence Minister Dr Liam Fox was a long time advocate of implementing the controversial update to the Trident system, that is expected to cost £15-20 billion.
His replacement Phillip Hammond has also declared he is supporting implementing the Trident system.
(DW/BMcC)
The report, called Beyond the UK: Trends in the Other Nuclear Armed States, by Trident Commission Consultant Dr Ian Kearns , argues the evidence suggests there will be a new era of "global nuclear force modernisation and growth”.
The report is the first from the BASIC Trident Commission and outlines a number of key findings and criticises "government rhetoric" over disarmament.
The report said: "Despite all the recent disarmament rhetoric, there is no evidence that any of the currently nuclear armed states are actively contemplating a future without nuclear weapons"
The report found that the potential for nuclear weapons use is growing and that major development or nuclear force modernisation programmes are underway in India, China, the US, Russia, and Pakistan.
"Israel is on course to develop an inter-continental ballistic missile; India is developing a whole suite of new missiles with longer ranges; Several states are trying to build smaller nuclear warheads for tactical use," the report said.
The report goes as far to argue that the evidence points to "new nuclear arms races" and that hundreds of billions of US dollars was being spent over the coming decade.
The report said: "Despite the need for major powers to cooperatively address the challenges of globalisation, nuclear deterrence thinking is still very evident in the defence policies of all the major powers; and the New START treaty, while a welcome return to arms control, has a number of loopholes meaning that its affect on disarmament is minimal."
In the UK, former Defence Minister Dr Liam Fox was a long time advocate of implementing the controversial update to the Trident system, that is expected to cost £15-20 billion.
His replacement Phillip Hammond has also declared he is supporting implementing the Trident system.
(DW/BMcC)
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