Abstract

This article analyzes the “big structures” and “large processes” of “nuclear multipolarity.” The structures encompass the national nuclear command, control, and communications (NC3) of at least eighteen countries, to include nine nuclear weapon states, “shared” weapons in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), missile defense, and key intelligence nodes in select countries. Processes include the delegated flow of launch authority, innovation, and digitization in many forms. A framework for analyzing this global system is developed, one made up of national command and control plus the “system dynamics” of their interlinked behavior. The paper underscores how advanced technologies—cyberwar, drones, and anti-satellite weapons (ASAT)—affect NC3.

Read the article here.