Arms Control
69 Articles

Treaty Banning Cluster Munitions Turns 10, but Without the US
This November, Switzerland will convene the milestone Second Review Conference for the Convention on Cluster Munitions in Lausanne, but the U.S. is likely to be absent, as usual.

A Threat or A Warning: Russia’s Weapons Testing in Space
Are there rules governing the use of weapons in space? A well-established framework of international law centered on the Outer Space Treaty (OST), to which all major spacefaring…

The Best Way to Improve on New START Is By Extending It
An extension of New START would provide the United States the time and space to negotiate a follow-on arms control accord with Russia, China, and other nuclear powers.

The Harm of Nuclear Weapons Tests for Peaceful Nuclear Power
Any US efforts that undermine key treaties would erode the global nonproliferation regime that advances the safety of civil nuclear technologies.

The Potential U.S. Security Threats in Letting New START Lapse
Almost every problem that critics say this nuclear-weapons pact doesn't solve would be aggravated if the treaty expires.

The Trump Administration’s Nuclear Test Delusions
Resuming testing provides no strategic benefit and would undermine a treaty that has curbed the spread of nuclear weapons for more than 50 years.

Yes, Congress, There Is Something You Can Do About Reckless Arms Sales
Recently proposed sales are particularly problematic given reports of unlawful retransfers and irresponsible, if not illegal, end use by both Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.…

Let’s Make a Deal: How to Mitigate the Risk of Hypersonic Weapons
Despite the destructive capability of hypersonic weapons, international arms control law currently does little to regulate their development, testing, or production.

Trump’s Aim to Go Big on Nuclear Arms Control Should Begin by Extending New START
If President Trump actually seeks to avoid an arms race, maintain a cap on the Russian nuclear arsenal, and create the conditions for follow-on talks with Russia and new negotiations…

The Once and Future Threat of Nuclear Weapon Testing
Some Trump administration officials have signaled hostility to the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty and an interest in the United States resuming nuclear weapon testing, which could…
Cooking the WMD Books: Politicizing the 2019 State Department Compliance Report
"I know. I used to work in State Department’s Bureau of Arms Control, Verification, and Compliance and then in the Office of the Under Secretary responsible for this report.…

How the “Arms Sales Oversight Act” Could Prevent American Arms from Contributing to the Next Overseas Crisis
The debate over U.S. complicity in Yemen’s humanitarian catastrophe is coming to a head in the Senate, with a series of votes on the Sanders-Lee-Murphy war powers resolution.…