Modernization as a promoter of international security

Abstract

The modernization programs of the United States and its democratic allies at the core of the international system tend to promote international security. The nuclear modernization programs of revisionist autocratic powers intent on challenging the international system tend to threaten global peace and stability. The modernization of US nuclear weapons will therefore continue to reinforce the major sources of geopolitical peace and stability. Geopolitical intentions guide nuclear strategy, which in turn informs modernization programs. It is therefore essential to account for a state’s position within the international system when evaluating the likely effects of nuclear modernization on international stability. The effect of a state’s nuclear modernization on international security depends upon that state’s objectives and strategy, in accordance with its broader geopolitical disposition. Russian, Chinese, and North Korean nuclear modernization programs undermine global stability and security. In the realm of policy implications, the chapter concludes that the United States must follow through on its modernization plans.