Social SciencesPublic PolicyStrategyArms ControlStrategic StudiesTechnology PolicyNonproliferation PolicyNuclear NonproliferationNuclear ProliferationNuclear Weapons PolicyWeapons Of Mass DestructionWeapons ProliferationBiological Weapons ProliferationChemical NonproliferationChemical Weapons NonproliferationDeterrence Of ProliferationNonproliferationNuclear Weapons ProliferationPolicy Options AnalysisProliferation Pathways
The paper complements the OTA report on WMD proliferation by outlining the destructive potential of nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons, their possible uses, and the global consequences of their spread. It aims to examine the technical routes states could use to acquire and deliver WMDs, assess the effort and resources needed, and prepare for future policy option analyses. The study analyzes technical pathways for acquiring and delivering nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons and evaluates the level of effort, commitment, and resources required to develop such capabilities.
Abstract : This background paper explores the technical pathways by which states might acquire nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons and the systems to deliver them. It also assesses the level of effort, commitment, and resources required to mount such developments. The paper is a companion to the OTA report Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction: Assessing the Risks, which describes what nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons can do and how they might be used. That report also analyzes the consequences of the spread of such weapons for the United States and the world, surveys the array of policy tools that can be used to combat proliferation, and identifies tradeoffs and choices that confront policy makers. A forthcoming report will analyze specific sets of nonproliferation policy options in detail.