Archive

nuclear command

The New Nuclear Age: At the Precipice of Armageddon – IST Hosts Book Talk with Author Ankit Panda

The New Nuclear Age: At the Precipice of Armageddon – IST Hosts Book Talk with Author Ankit Panda

IST’s Nuclear Policy team hosted international security expert and author Ankit Panda in Palo Alto to learn more about his latest book unpacking the trilateral nuclear competition between the United States, China, and Russia. IST CEO Philip Reiner sat down for a fireside chat with Ankit, highlighting in their discussion the need to collectively identify political and technical solutions to address the nexus of emerging technologies and the new nuclear age.

AI, and communications, artificial inteligence, China, control, NC3, nuclear, nuclear command, nuclear risk, Russia, United States

November 17, 2025

AI, NC3, and Strategic Stability: Scenario Exercise

AI, NC3, and Strategic Stability: Scenario Exercise

How might the integration of AI into global NC3 systems transform strategic stability and deterrence dynamics? In Washington, D.C. this spring, IST convened more than 60 senior officials, technical experts, and civil society actors for an in-depth analysis of the risks and opportunities of AI in NC3 using this scenario exercise.

adaptive targeting, AI, decision support, nuclear, nuclear command, scenario, strategic warning, TTX

October 16, 2025

Bridging the Policy, Military, and Technology Fields: IST Hosts Critical Workshop on AI in Nuclear Command, Control, and Communication Systems

Bridging the Policy, Military, and Technology Fields: IST Hosts Critical Workshop on AI in Nuclear Command, Control, and Communication Systems

On April 10, 2025, the Institute for Security and Technology’s (IST) Innovation and Catastrophic Risk team hosted a scenario-driven workshop titled "The Risks and Opportunities of AI in NC3: Finding Common Ground," with cross-sector experts in Washington, DC.

adaptive targeting, AI, crisis communication, decision support, deterrence, NC3, nuclear, nuclear command, nuclear control, strategic stability, strategic warning

April 29, 2025

AI-NC3 Integration in an Adversarial Context: Strategic Stability Risks and Confidence Building Measures

AI-NC3 Integration in an Adversarial Context: Strategic Stability Risks and Confidence Building Measures

AI-NC3 Integration in an Adversarial Context aims to examine the strategic stability risks posed by integrating AI technologies into nuclear command, control and communications systems across the globe.

and communications, artificial intelligence, confidence-building measures, control, NC3, nuclear command

February 27, 2023

In the News, Podcast

Strategic Stability: Sahil Shah on Press the Button

Sahil Shah joined Ploughshare Fund’s flagship podcast Press the Button to discuss strategic stability, transatlantic relations, and the need for reliable communications links in all nuclear contexts.

crisis communications, JCPOA, nuclear command, risk reduction

October 11, 2021

Targeting Communications and Escalation

Targeting Communications and Escalation

This week's episode of The Fourth Leg features the return of one of the “NC3 originals,” Paul Bracken from Yale University.

crisis communications, nuclear command, nuclear communications, nuclear escalation, nuclear war

May 28, 2020

NC3 Threats: Insider Edition

NC3 Threats: Insider Edition

Philip Reiner and Peter Hayes sit down with Dr. Ronald Schouten to discuss insider threats to nuclear command, control, and communications.

insider threats, nuclear command, nuclear weapons, risk

November 14, 2019

The End of Survivability?

The End of Survivability?

In this episode of The Fourth Leg, Philip Reiner and Peter Hayes are joined by guest Daryl Press, who focuses on the growing threats to nuclear command and control and communication (NC3) systems around the world.

global stability, NC3, nuclear command, nuclear control, nuclear risk, strategic stability, vulnerabilities, vulnerable NC3

October 17, 2019

Elements of Caution and Prudence

Elements of Caution and Prudence

In this episode of The Fourth Leg, Philip Reiner and Peter Hayes sit down with Avner Cohen to explore Israel's NC3 profile.

Israel, Middle East, NC3, NC3 architecture, nuclear command, nuclear control, nuclear weapon state

October 10, 2019

When and Why Cede Nuclear Authority

When and Why Cede Nuclear Authority

In this segment, Dr. Vipin Narang joins Philip Reiner and Peter Hayes to challenge the delegative/assertive binary, arguing that, while conceptually important, it has hamstrung our thinking of regional powers’ NC3 by forcing them into one bin or another when it is in fact a time-dependent spectrum: all states delegate—that is, cede the ability to use nuclear weapons, irrespective of the authority to do so—at some point.

assertive, delegative, hardware, NC3, NC3 architecture, nuclear command, nuclear control, regional powers, software

September 18, 2019

Questioning Unitary Command: Nuclear Launch Authority and the N-Person Problem

Questioning Unitary Command: Nuclear Launch Authority and the N-Person Problem

In this segment, Philip Reiner and Peter Hayes are joined by Dr. Alex Wellerstein, who sketches a framework for thinking about how concentrated nuclear use authority should be at the top.

NC3, nuclear command, nuclear control, nuclear use authority, nuclear war, nuclear weapons states

August 8, 2019

Deterred by the Uncertainties

Deterred by the Uncertainties

In this episode, guest Fiona Cunningham joins hosts Philip Reiner and Peter Hayes to describe the origins of China’s NC3 system and its primary role in supporting China’s land-based missile force.

China, early warning systems, missile, NC3, nuclear command, nuclear war, submarines

July 29, 2019

The Curse of Flexibility

The Curse of Flexibility

In this segment, Nancy Leveson joins Philip Reiner and Peter Hayes to make the case that using conservative techniques and avoiding unnecessarily complex software in critical functions in NC3 systems circumvented nuclear catastrophe in the past.

complexity, NC3, nuclear command, risk management, software

July 25, 2019

Is the Enemy in the System?

Is the Enemy in the System?

Philip Reiner and Peter Hayes sit down with Dr. Jon Lindsay, who makes the case that the cybersecurity of nuclear command, control, and communications is a pressing concern.

cyber, cybersecurity, NC3, nuclear command, nuclear war, offensive cyber, risk

June 20, 2019

Complexity is the Enemy of Security

Complexity is the Enemy of Security

Philip Reiner is joined by guest Eric Grosse, who makes the case that for information security at extreme scales, complexity is the enemy of security. Using the example of Gmail, he calls for a return to basics. "For the very highest security needs such as NC3, we ought to return to basics and harden small-scale systems. And we ought to do it as a joint effort, even between adversaries.”

complexity, Information Security, NC3, nuclear command, nuclear communications, security

May 30, 2019

Grand Tactics and the Thin Skin of Civilization

Grand Tactics and the Thin Skin of Civilization

In the first episode of The Fourth Leg, Philip Reiner and Peter Hayes sit down with Dr. Paul Bracken for an overview of NC3 tactics and global stability.

C3I, entanglement, global stability, inadvertent escalation, NC3, nuclear command, nuclear war

May 13, 2019