Franklin Miller

Senior Adviser (Non-resident), International Security Program
Franklin Miller

Franklin Miller is a principal at the Scowcroft Group in Washington, D.C. He dealt extensively with nuclear policy and nuclear arms control issues during his 31-year government career, which included senior positions in the Defense Department and on the National Security Council staff. He was directly in charge of U.S. nuclear deterrence and targeting policy from 1985 to 2001 and also chaired NATO’s senior nuclear policy committee, the High-Level Group, from 1997 to 2001. He is a member of the Strategic Command Advisory Board and served on the Defense Policy Board from 2008 to 2020. He served on the 2008 Secretary of Defense Task Force on DoD Nuclear Weapons Management (Schlesinger Task Force), on the 2013–2014 Congressional Advisory Panel on the Nuclear Security Enterprise (Mies-Augustine Panel), and on the 2022–2023 Congressional Commission on Strategic Posture. He publishes frequently on deterrence and arms control issues. He has been awarded the Defense Department's highest civilian award, the Defense Distinguished Civilian Service Medal, five times and received the Defense Distinguished Public Service Medal in lieu of a sixth award. Mr. Miller has also been awarded an honorary knighthood by Queen Elizabeth II, the Norwegian Royal Order of Merit (Grand Officer), the French Legion of Honor (Officer), and Japan’s Order of the Rising Sun (Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon). A member of the Council on Foreign Relations and a director of the Atlantic Council, he received his BA from Williams College and his MPA from Princeton University. He served as a surface warfare officer from 1972 to 1975. 

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PONI Live Debate: U.S. Nuclear Targeting

The PONI Live Debate is back! Join us for a debate on U.S. Nuclear Targeting between Mr. Franklin Miller and Dr. James Acton on January 25th, 10am-11am ET.  

Event — January 25, 2024

Project Atom 2023

How can the United States deter two peer competitors? To assist U.S. policy makers in addressing this question, the Project on Nuclear Issues (PONI) invited a group of experts to develop competing strategies for deterring Russia and China through 2035.

Report by Heather Williams, Kelsey Hartigan, Lachlan MacKenzie, Robert Soofer, Tom Karako, Oriana Skylar Mastro, Franklin Miller, Leonor Tomero, and Jon Wolfsthal — September 29, 2023

Ironclad: Forging a New Future for America’s Alliances

With the global U.S. alliance network being called into question, Ironclad assembles an array of academics, practitioners, and experts to examine the current state of U.S. alliances and the trajectory of the U.S. alliance system over the next decade.

Book by Michael J. Green, Jon B. Alterman, Franklin Miller, Heather A. Conley, Sue Mi Terry, Amy Searight, and Patrick Gerard Buchan — October 18, 2019

Reliving History: A Retrospective on Trident

The Project on Nuclear Issues (PONI) is pleased to host this exclusive panel discussion recounting the formation of the seminal UK Trident Program, featuring four former U.S. and UK national security policymakers present for its negotiation.

Event — November 4, 2015

Credible Maritime Partners in the 21st Century

Please join us for a discussion on the UK's approach to maritime security in the current global security environment. 

Please join us for a discussion on the UK's approach to maritime security in the current global security environment. Admiral Zambellas will address how the Royal Navy will maintain the capabilities to remain a relevant and dependable maritime partner to the U.S. Navy and other allies into the future.

Event — July 30, 2014