James M. Acton, Ankit Panda
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Balancing the Books: Production and Stocks
While Britain is contributing productively to disarmament efforts, its fissile material records should be more transparent. A better means of tracking fissile materials is imperative as the world pursues mechanisms to verify nuclear weapons reductions.
Source: IPFM Report

In spite of these difficulties, Acton and his co-authors are able to present the most detailed accounting of UK military fissile materials available in the public domain, including a comprehensive analysis of its naval reactor program. They advocate for more detailed reports on the United Kingdom's fissile materials and argue that as the United Kingdom decommissions its production facilities there will be a valuable opportunity for international verification.
About the Author
Jessica T. Mathews Chair, Co-director, Nuclear Policy Program
Acton holds the Jessica T. Mathews Chair and is co-director of the Nuclear Policy Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
- Nuclear Weapons and the Future of American PowerPaper
- The Latest Iran Deal Ignores the Lessons of the PastCommentary
James M. Acton
Recent Work
Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.
More Work from Carnegie Europe
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- Europe Should Not Let Nuclear Nonproliferation DieCommentary
Amid uncertainty caused by the Iran war, the global drive for nonproliferation has stalled. With Europe diplomatically marginalized and countries reassessing their nuclear options, efforts to curb the spread of nuclear weapons risk becoming irrelevant.
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French President Emmanuel Macron has unveiled his country’s new nuclear doctrine. Are the changes he has made enough to reassure France’s European partners in the current geopolitical context?
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