Publication

In 2018, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced five new nuclear-capable, strategic weapons systems. These systems include a nuclear-powered, nuclear-armed cruise missile and a nuclear-powered, nuclear-armed submarine drone. What does Russia have to gain from developing these novel and exotic nuclear weapons? And what should the US and NATO do about it? This paper answers these questions, in part by evaluating the potential utility, motivations, and consequences of these new systems. The text’s authors suggest the most significant consequence may be that great-power competition has returned, and with it, the importance of nuclear weapons in international politics.