Changing Soviet views of nuclear weapons
- Sloss (Leon) Associates, Washington, DC (USA)
The purpose of this paper is to summarize current Soviet views about nuclear weapons, and to assess the implications of these views for US policies and programs. I will focus particularly on implications of interest to the nuclear laboratories. The task is complicated by the fact that Soviet views about nuclear weapons are not straightforward. There are certain benefits from glasnost in that there now is more open debate about a range of issues in the Soviet Union, including defense issues. Thus, we now have a great deal of published material to draw upon in assessing Soviet views, and experts in the West can talk much more freely to Soviet experts. However, this information explosion makes it more difficult to discriminate signal from noise, particularly as there continues to be both propaganda and deception in Soviet statements about defense issues. Clearly, some Soviet statements about nuclear weapons are designed to influence attitudes and actions in the West. I shall cite some examples in this paper.
- Research Organization:
- Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (USA); Sloss (Leon) Associates, Washington, DC (USA)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-48
- OSTI ID:
- 6073951
- Report Number(s):
- UCRL-CR-105634; ON: DE91010255
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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