10nfl1-Nukes-Cover
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| Nuclear accident risk THE PURSUIT OF DETERRENCE IS MAKING THE RISK OF ACCIDENTAL LAUNCH HIGHER Fred Charles Ikle. The Second Coming of the Nuclear Age Foreign Affairs, Vol. 75, No. 1 (Jan. – Feb, 1996), pp. 119-128 For example, the budgets for offensive nuclear forces and those for all defensive measures indicate that the major nuclear powers now allocate about a hundred times as much to deterrence as to the prevention or mitigation of a catastrophic accident or human error. Though hidden from public scrutiny, the same imbalance exists - and is far more dangerous - in the tradeoffs military planners make between enhancing deterrence and reducing the risk of accidental nuclear war. While they have switched off wartime targeting and taken some missile forces off alert, Russian strategists continue to keep part of their forces on a hair- trigger posture to enhance deterrence against an implausible US. surprise attack. US. military leaders likewise keep some of their forces on continuous alert, feeding the arguments of Russian planners that their missiles must be ready for launch at a moment's notice. Unless addressed, this skewed cosmic gamble will persist for years, placing nearly all bets on deterrence, with little insurance against human folly. Download 1.23 Mb. Share with your friends:
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