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Nonstrategic Nuclear Weapons
Summary
During the Cold War, the United States and Soviet Union both deployed
thousands of "nonstrategic"nuclear weapons that were intended to be used in support
of troops in the field during a conflict. These included nuclear mines; artillery; short,
medium, and long-range ballistic missiles; cruise missiles; and gravity bombs. In
contrast with the longer-range "strategic" nuclear weapons, these weapons had a
lower profile in policy debates and arms control negotiations. At the end of the
1980s, before the demise of the Soviet Union, each nation still had thousands of these
weapons deployed with their troops in the field, aboard naval vessels, and on aircraft.
In 1991, both the United States and Soviet Union announced that they would
withdraw most and eliminate many of their nonstrategic nuclear weapons. The
United States now retains approximately 1,100 nonstrategic nuclear weapons, with
a few hundred deployed with aircraft in Europe and the remaining stored in the
United States. Estimates vary, but experts believe Russia still has between 3,000 and
8,000 warheads for nonstrategic nuclear weapons in its arsenal. The Bush
Administration has not announced any further reductions in U.S. nonstrategic nuclear
weapons; to the contrary, it has indicated that nuclear weapons remain essential to
U.S. national security interests and it has requested funding for the study of a new
robust nuclear earth penetrator weapon. In addition, Russia has increased its reliance
on nuclear weapons in its national security concept. Some analysts argue that Russia
has backed away from its commitments from 1991 and may develop and deploy new
types of nonstrategic nuclear weapons.
Analysts have identified a number of issues with the continued deployment of
U.S. and Russian nonstrategic nuclear weapons. These include questions about the
safety and security of Russia's weapons and the possibility that some might be lost,
stolen, or sold to another nation or group; questions about the role of these weapons
in U.S. and Russian security policy, and the likelihood that either nation might use
these weapons in a regional contingency with a non-nuclear nation; questions about
the role that these weapons play in NATO policy and whether there is a continuing
need for the United States to deploy these weapons at bases overseas; and questions
about the relationship between nonstrategic nuclear weapons and U.S.
nonproliferation policy, particularly whether a U.S. policy that views these weapons
as a militarily useful tool might encourage other nations to acquire their own nuclear
weapons, or at least complicate U.S. policy to discourage such acquisition.Some argue that these weapons do not create any problems and the United
States should not alter its policy. Others, however argue that the United States
should reduce its reliance on these weapons and encourage Russia to do the same.
Many have also suggested that the United States and Russia expand their efforts to
cooperate on ensuring the safe and secure storage and elimination of these weapons,
possibly to include negotiating a formal arms control treaty that would limit these
weapons and allow for increased transparency in monitoring their deployment and
elimination.This report will be updated as needed.
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Reference the current page of this Report.
Woolf, Amy F. Nonstrategic Nuclear Weapons, report, September 9, 2004; Washington D.C.. (https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metacrs6104/m1/2/: accessed April 30, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, UNT Digital Library, https://digital.library.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.