Nuclear Issues

Though nuclear weapons have not been used since 1945, their threat is omnipresent when nuclear powers join the battlefield. CSIS scholars analyze key nuclear policy issues including deterrence, escalation, and arms control.

Photo: © CORBIS/Corbis/Getty Images

Photo: © CORBIS/Corbis/Getty Images

Can the United States Immediately Return to Nuclear Testing?

President Trump’s post raises technical questions about how and if the United States could “immediately” return to nuclear testing, and political considerations about the signaling behind nuclear testing and who would benefit most from a return to testing.

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Critical Questions by Heather Williams — October 30, 2025

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Williams

Heather Williams

Director, Project on Nuclear Issues and Senior Fellow, Defense and Security Department
Victor Cha

Victor Cha

President, Geopolitics and Foreign Policy Department and Korea Chair
Joseph Rodgers

Joseph Rodgers

Deputy Director and Fellow, Project on Nuclear Issues

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Updating Nuclear Command, Control, and Communication

Nuclear command and control will be an essential piece of nuclear modernization plans. To confront two-peer competition, the United States should stay apace with modernization plans and will require constant innovation.

Commentary by Heather Williams — December 10, 2024

What Does India’s Hypersonic Missile Test Mean?

On November 16, India announced the test launch of its first long-range hypersonic missile. This missile makes India one of the few nuclear-armed countries to possess this technology, highlighting the intensifying global race for hypersonic technology.

Critical Questions by Diya Ashtakala — December 2, 2024

Report Launch: Project Atom 2024

Please join the CSIS Project on Nuclear Issues (PONI) on Wednesday, November 20, 2024 at 9:00 am ET, for the launch of its report, Project Atom 2024. 

Event — November 20, 2024

Report Launch: Project Atom 2024

The CSIS Project on Nuclear Issues launched its comprehensive report, Project Atom 2024, which uses a competitive strategies approach to explore challenges associated with intrawar deterrence and consists of five alternative strategies for responding to strategic deterrence failure.

Transcript — November 20, 2024

Project Atom 2024: Intra-War Deterrence in a Two-Peer Environment

There is a growing risk that U.S. adversaries might resort to nuclear use in a regional conflict. To help address for this threat, the Project on Nuclear Issues invited a group of experts to develop competing strategies for responding to strategic deterrence failure.

Report by Heather Williams, Reja Younis, Lachlan MacKenzie, Christopher A. Ford, Rebecca Davis Gibbons, Ankit Panda, Melanie W. Sisson, and Gregory Weaver — November 18, 2024

Why Striking Iranian Nuclear Facilities Is a Bad Idea

Israeli military strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities could escalate tensions and push Tehran further towards nuclear weapons development. Diplomacy, although slow, remains the only viable way to curb Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

Commentary by Doreen Horschig — October 25, 2024

France’s Nuclear Offer to Europe

The article explores how the existing doctrine offers clues for implementing the French offer and provides recommendations for future Euro-Atlantic discussions.

Commentary by Astrid Chevreuil — October 23, 2024