{"id":{"repo_id":"mit","oai_identifier":"oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/76953"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/mit/oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/76953","repository":{"repo_id":"mit","name":"MIT","base_url":"https://dspace.mit.edu/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Minimal nuclear deterrence : a nuclear arsenal reduction plan for the United States","abstract":"The global political climate has called for reductions to nuclear arsenals around the world. This thesis researches how potential deep cuts to the United States' large strategic nuclear arsenal would affect its current nuclear deterrence goals. First, case studies on pre-1960 United States, 1964-2012 France, and 1964-2012 China are conducted to understand how a small nuclear arsenal should be constructed in order to prevent nuclear attack from countries with large nuclear arsenals. The lessons learned from these case studies, the current United States deterrence requirements, and the destructive effects from different warheads are then used to propose a potential composition of a small nuclear arsenal for the United States. The proposal consists of only around 500 warheads (in comparison to the current 2,000 the US has on deployment) and achieves United States deterrence goals through its vast destructive capability, variability, and survivability if targeted against in a first nuclear strike.","abstract_html":"The global political climate has called for reductions to nuclear arsenals around the world. This thesis researches how potential deep cuts to the United States' large strategic nuclear arsenal would affect its current nuclear deterrence goals. First, case studies on pre-1960 United States, 1964-2012 France, and 1964-2012 China are conducted to understand how a small nuclear arsenal should be constructed in order to prevent nuclear attack from countries with large nuclear arsenals. The lessons learned from these case studies, the current United States deterrence requirements, and the destructive effects from different warheads are then used to propose a potential composition of a small nuclear arsenal for the United States. The proposal consists of only around 500 warheads (in comparison to the current 2,000 the US has on deployment) and achieves United States deterrence goals through its vast destructive capability, variability, and survivability if targeted against in a first nuclear strike.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Laderman, Sarah (Sarah Jane)"],"institution":"Massachusetts Institute of Technology","degree_name":null,"degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":"Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Nuclear Science and Engineering.","school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":["Vipin Narang."],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2012,"date_issued":"2012","date_published":"2012","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:21:07Z","subjects":["Nuclear Science and Engineering."],"languages":["eng"],"rights":["M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission."],"rights_urls":["http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582"],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/76953","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.advisor","label":"Advisor","values":["Vipin Narang."]},{"key":"dc:contributor.department","label":"Department","values":["Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Nuclear Science and Engineering."]},{"key":"dc:contributor.other","label":"Dc Contributor Other","values":["Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 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They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission."]},{"key":"dc:rights.uri","label":"Rights URI","values":["http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/76953"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description","label":"Description","values":["Thesis (S.B.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Nuclear Science and Engineering, 2012.","\"June 2012.\" Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.","Includes bibliographical references (p. 39-40)."]},{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["The global political climate has called for reductions to nuclear arsenals around the world. This thesis researches how potential deep cuts to the United States' large strategic nuclear arsenal would affect its current nuclear deterrence goals. First, case studies on pre-1960 United States, 1964-2012 France, and 1964-2012 China are conducted to understand how a small nuclear arsenal should be constructed in order to prevent nuclear attack from countries with large nuclear arsenals. The lessons learned from these case studies, the current United States deterrence requirements, and the destructive effects from different warheads are then used to propose a potential composition of a small nuclear arsenal for the United States. The proposal consists of only around 500 warheads (in comparison to the current 2,000 the US has on deployment) and achieves United States deterrence goals through its vast destructive capability, variability, and survivability if targeted against in a first nuclear strike."]},{"key":"dc:description.degree","label":"Dc Description Degree","values":["S.B."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Minimal nuclear deterrence : a nuclear arsenal reduction plan for the United States"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.advisor":["Vipin Narang."],"dc:contributor.department":["Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Nuclear Science and Engineering."],"dc:contributor.other":["Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 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The lessons learned from these case studies, the current United States deterrence requirements, and the destructive effects from different warheads are then used to propose a potential composition of a small nuclear arsenal for the United States. The proposal consists of only around 500 warheads (in comparison to the current 2,000 the US has on deployment) and achieves United States deterrence goals through its vast destructive capability, variability, and survivability if targeted against in a first nuclear strike."],"dc:description.degree":["S.B."],"dc:identifier.uri":["http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/76953"],"dc:language.iso":["eng"],"dc:publisher":["Massachusetts Institute of Technology"],"dc:rights":["M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. 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