Source: US Stratcom
Discussing the importance of nuclear weapons to deterrence in the emerging international security environment at Stratcom's 2012 Deterrence Symposium, Carnegie's George Perkovich explained that the idea of unilateral nuclear disarmament is misleading.
The nuclear deterrence challenge faced by the United States is in relation to other nuclear armed states, explained Perkovich, adding that behaving justly is vital to sustaining morale in the U.S. army and winning public support in the United States and among allied states. "Ultimately U.S. power depends on this, which in turn affects the credibility of our deterrence," Perkovich said.
Perkovich also brought up the case of the disputed islands in the South China Sea, where U.S. and Chinese nuclear deterrence are central to potential conflict scenarios. "Is it conceivable that the United States would use nuclear weapons first in a campaign to prevent or remove Chinese forces that had already occupied these islands?" Perkovich asked.