Recapitalizing Nuclear Weapons

By Edgar M. Vaughan

Book Id: WPLBN0002170256
Format Type: PDF eBook:
File Size: 0.8 MB
Reproduction Date: 10/12/2012

Title:	Recapitalizing Nuclear Weapons
Author:	Edgar M. Vaughan
Volume:
Language:	English
Subject:	Non Fiction, Technology, Nuclear Weapons
Collections:	Authors Community, United States
Historic Publication Date:
Publisher:	Air University Press

Member Page:	Air University Press
Citation APA MLA Chicago M. Vaugha, B. E. (n.d.). Recapitalizing Nuclear Weapons. Retrieved from http://gutenberg.cc/

Description
It is critical that the United States act now to put in place a program to produce a reliable replacement warhead. Colonel Vaughan addresses some critical points in the attached thesis on the Reliable Replacement Warhead and the recapitalization of the nuclear weapons complex.

Table of Contents
1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 An Aging Stockpile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Points of View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Alternatives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Preview of Remaining Chapters . . . . . . . . . . 8 Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 2 THE CASE FOR MAINTAINING THE STATUS QUO . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 The Stockpile is Safe and Reliable . . . . . . . 12 A Limited Role for Nuclear Weapons . . . . . .13 Nuclear Posture Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 Responsive Infrastructure and Replacement Warheads . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23 3 THE CASE FOR BEGINNING RECAPITALIZATION NOW . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25 Future Role for Nuclear Weapons . . . . . . . . 26 Nuclear Weapons Needed for the Foreseeable Future . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Stockpile Stewardship Program Concerns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Future Threat Environment is Uncertain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Nuclear Weapons Complex Transformation . 34 Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35 4 FUTURE NUCLEAR FORCE STRUCTURE CONSIDERATIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Reliable Replacement Warhead––Catalyst for Change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Future Stockpile Characteristics . . . . . . . .41 Specific Air Force Actions to Support Recapitalization Decisions . . . . . . . . . . . . .44 Use RRW to Transform Air Force Nuclear Forces/Processes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 5 CONCLUSION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Note . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51 BIBLIOGRAPHY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53