The Case for U.S. Nuclear Weapons in the 21st Century
Brad Roberts

May 19, 2016

CGSR director Brad Roberts is the author of a new book by Stanford University Press, entitled The Case for U.S. Nuclear Weapons in the 21st Century. The book was written in the year prior to his appointment at CGSR and was released a few weeks ago. In the interim, it has been reviewed in publications such as Foreign Affairs and Survival. This seminar will review the main arguments in the book and the reactions in the political, military, and academic communities. The book is a counter to the conventional wisdom that the United States can and should do more to reduce both the role of nuclear weapons in its security strategies and the number of weapons in its arsenal. Drawing on the author’s experience in the making and implementation of U.S. policy in the Obama administration, the book examines that real world experience and finds important lessons for the disarmament enterprise. That experience also provides insights into the new problems of strategic conflict in the 21st century for which nuclear weapons remain relevant but which are also driving major changes in strategies for deterrence, assurance, and strategic stability.

Brad Roberts is the director of the Center for Global Security Research. From 2009 to 2013, he was Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear and Missile Defense Policy. In this capacity, Dr. Roberts played a leading role in the Obama administration’s Nuclear Posture Review and its implementation. Prior to joining the Pentagon, he was a policy analyst at the Institute for Defense Analyses in Alexandria, Virginia, and an adjunct professor at George Washington University.

The Case for U.S. Nuclear Weapons in the 21st Century

The Center for Global Security Research (CGSR) sponsored this seminar entitled "The Case for U.S. Nuclear Weapons in the 21st Century" on May 19, 2016, at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. The seminar was presented by Brad Roberts, director of the Center for Global Security Research.

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