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Ploughshares Blog: Missile Defense

Missile Defense: Big Risk, Little Reward?
In a difficult fiscal environment, the United States continues to throw billions of dollars down the drain on missile defense systems.  Instead of making us more secure, the system has limited capabilities to actually protect the United States and its allies.  And it makes Russian (and Chinese) military planners nervous, a situation that could quickly spiral out of control and into a Cold War-esque arms race. Read more »
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Posted by Kelly Bronk on September 26, 2011
Missile Defense, US–Russia
Nuclear Budgets Racing Ahead of Policy
The Budget Crisis Offers Opportunity to Bend the Arc of Nuclear Policy - Joe Cirincione in Think Progress Read more »
Posted on August 12, 2011
Clock Ticking on Nuclear Policy Guidance
A Presidential Policy Directive for a New Nuclear Path - Robert S. Norris and Hans M. Kristensen in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists Read more »
Posted on August 11, 2011
Hawks Replaying Iraq Sanctions Debacle With Iran
Hawks Push for Iraq-Style Sanctions on Iran - Eli Clifton in Think Progress Read more »
Posted on August 9, 2011
The Unaffordable Failures of Missile Defense
$35B Missile Defense Misses Bullet With Bullet - Elliot Blair Smith and Gopal Ratnam in Bloomberg Read more »
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Posted on August 5, 2011
The X-Men Didn't Save Us
It wasn't the mutants. It was humans that caused the Cuban Missile Crisis. Only luck saved us from nuclear war. But other than that, the new film, X-Men: First Class, gets a lot right about the historic crisis that is central to its plot. Read more »
Posted by Joe Cirincione on June 16, 2011
Entertainment, Missile Defense, Nuclear Weapons, U.S. Foreign Policy, US–Russia, Nuclear Terrorism, U.S. Nuclear Policy, Military Strategy, Missiles & Space, Other, United States
Getting Control of the Nuclear Budget
The United States spends roughly $54 billion a year on nuclear weapons and related programs, with plans in place to spend roughly $10 billion more per year on new nuclear submarines, missiles, and bombers. If this massive expenditure goes through as planned, it could overshadow U.S. efforts to reduce the role and number of nuclear weapons. Read more »
Posted by Ben Loehrke on May 17, 2011
Missile Defense, Nuclear Weapons, U.S. Foreign Policy, Military Strategy, Other, United States
Defense Experts Outline Next Steps for U.S.-Russian Nuclear Security
The Sustainable Partnership with Russia Group, or SuPR Group, today launched a report with recommendations for the U.S. and Russia to continue working toward reductions in their nuclear stockpiles and to tackle top security challenges, including nuclear proliferation.  "American national security interests are best served by shedding the unnecessary weapons and concepts of the Cold War,” said Joe Cirincione, President of Ploughshares Fund, a participant and supporter of the Group.  Read more »
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Posted by Sarah Beth Cross on May 4, 2011
Nuclear States, Missile Defense, Nuclear Weapons, U.S. Foreign Policy, US–Russia, Proliferation, U.S. Nuclear Policy, United States
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Five Next Steps to Increase American Security
This article was co-authored by Ploughshares Fund President Joe Cirincione and Program Officer Haleh Hatami There's one less threat to America this week, but there are 21,000 others waiting to explode. That's the number of nuclear weapons in the U.S. and Russia. In a new report, experts from both nations warn of the dangers and offer five easy steps towards a solution. Read more »
Posted by Reid Pauly on May 4, 2011
Cooperative Threat Reduction, Missile Defense, Nuclear Weapons, US–Russia, U.S. Nuclear Policy
... And Keep it Shut!
What parts of the government should be permanently furloughed? Cut the Missile Defense Agency. The military services would do a better job determining what they need, what works, and how much to spend. The MDA functions primarily as an in-house lobbyist for systems the services have not asked for and do not need. We could save half of the over $10 billion budgeted this year for missile defense by eliminating this redundant agency and the programs it promotes. Read more »
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Posted by Joe Cirincione on April 11, 2011
Missile Defense, U.S. Foreign Policy, Missiles & Space, Other, United States