Thinking seriously about Asia's arms control

Abstract

While much of the attention on the Asian nuclear order is rightly focused on the Korean peninsula, Pyongyang’s increasingly credible nuclear weapons program is only the tip of the iceberg. A region traditionally characterised by nuclear restraint appears to be changing in important ways. The time to think seriously about the prospects for controlling Asia’s nuclear arsenals has arrived.

Central to the current nuclear dynamics of Asia are the modernisation projects underway in every nuclear-armed state. This is not just about replacing ageing weapons systems. These nuclear modernisation projects are set to provide states with greater missile ranges, more sophisticated warhead technology, more nuclear-armed submarines patrolling Asia’s waterways, and in some cases, larger stockpiles of weapons. These improvements to the arsenals of key states such as the United States, Russia, China, India and Pakistan — alongside North Korea’s sprint towards a credible deterrent — all point to a very different nuclear future for the region. Show more