DSB - Nuclear Weapons Effects National Enterprise report

The Joint Defense Science Board (DSB)/Threat Reduction Advisory Committee Task Force has released its latest report -- "The Nuclear Weapons Effects National Enterprise"

According the memo from Task Force Co-Chairs:

"Nuclear weapons remain a serious - and, some believe, growing - threat to U.S. forces, affecting the survivability of critical systems for mission assurance. The potential use of nuclear weapons on the battlefield was not eliminated at the end of the Cold War. Regional Proliferation risks are growing. A global market place has made acquisition of information and components to develop nuclear weapons more accessible. Perhaps most important is the fact that U.S. superiority in its conventional forces makes nuclear weapons attractive to potential adversaries who could never compete against such a robust arsenal of systems.

"At the same time, however, U.S. attention and capabilities to counter nuclear weapons have been atrophying for many years. Intelligence assets are focused elsewhere. Military and civilian leaders in DOD are poorly educated on military operations in nuclear environments, and have little understanding of nuclear weapons and the issues surrounding their use against our nation. U.S. counters (outside of missile defense) have received little attention in over two decades, especially defensive measures to ensure continued operations in radiation environments. Technical expertise and infrastructure have decayed significantly. Investments in nuclear survivability have declined...."