US nuclear forces, 2011

The Obama administration’s disclosure of its stockpiled and dismantled warhead numbers through September 2009 was, apparently, a “one-time release”; thus, the question remains as to how quickly—or slowly—the country’s arsenal will decline. Turning to the Nuclear Posture Review and New START, the authors assess what can be expected in terms of force levels and counting rules, and they provide clear analysis of US land-based ballistic missiles, ballistic missile submarines, strategic bombers, and nonstrategic nuclear weapons.