Nuclear weapons in the information age
By: Stephen J. Cimbala
Publisher: Continuum International Pub. Group
Published: 2012
Place of publication: New York
Language: eng
Number of pages: 248
ISBN-13: 9781441181978; 9781441126849
Subjects: Nuclear arms control; Nuclear nonproliferation; Nuclear crisis control; Information warfare
Description: "In today's information age, the coexistence of nuclear weapons with advanced conventional weapons and information-based concepts of warfare is a military contradiction. Nuclear deterrence was initially predicated on geopolitical, military, and technical assumptions. These were based on Cold War politics, rational deterrence theory, the concept of mutual vulnerability, and the fact that information and technology diffusion were limited. Today, however, far from being obsolete, nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction have not only survived, but have become weapons for states that face security threats, including perceived threats of nuclear blackmail, or expectation of conflicts. This study focuses on this unplanned coexistence of two distinct arts of war, including the possibility that states like the U.S. may be held hostage to nuclear blackmail by 'outlier' regimes or terrorists, such as North Korea. It shows that restricting nuclear proliferation should still be on the agenda of policymakers, and calls for a revitalized global nonproliferation regime. This unique survey by a leading expert will appeal to anyone interested in arms control, nuclear proliferation, and defense policy."--Bloomsbury Publishing.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index.
Table of contents: title: Introduction; title: Alternative nuclear regimes; title: Cyberwar and nuclear crisis management; title: Geography and nuclear arms control; title: Nuclear abolition: holy grail or dangerous temptation?; title: After the loving: new START and beyond; title: Nuclear threat and North Korea: dangers and options; title: Nuclear first use and European peace: a risky bargain?; title: Minimum deterrence and missile defenses: congruent paths or competitive designs?.