PONI 2011 Capstone Conference

The Project on Nuclear Issues held its 2011 Capstone Conference on December 6, 2011 at Offutt AFB in Omaha, NE. Each year the PONI Capstone Conference brings together high-level experts from across the nuclear enterprise to hear and discuss some of the new ideas coming out of the PONI conference series. 

The conference agenda covered policy and technical issues related to nuclear forces, strategy, arms control, and proliferation. The talks that will kickoff discussion have been drawn from preceding conferences at the Nevada National Security Site, Center for Strategic and International Studies, and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. The agenda also includes several presentations delivered at the UK PONI’s inaugural event at the Royal United Services Institute. 

An evening reception and dinner followed the day’s panel presentations. Keynote speakers included CSIS President and CEO, Dr. John Hamre, and Air Force Global Strike Commander, Lt. Gen. James Kowalski.

Presentation Panels

Panel 1 - Maintaining Nuclear Capabilities in the U.S. and UK

• Overview of Weapons Enterprise Transformation and Mathematical Assessment Tools, Carol Meyers
• Enhanced Nuclear Detonation Safety, Raymond Wolfgang
• The UK-France Nuclear Agreement in Context, Matt Harries
• Management of Key Technologies in the UK Naval Nuclear Propulsion Programe, Christopher Palmer

• The Threat that Leaves Something to Chance in U.S.-China Relations, Vincent Manzo
• Cruise Missiles in Southern Asia: Strategic Implications for China and India, Kalyan Kemburi
• Are Conventional Weapons a Viable Option for Damage Limitation Operations against Medium-sized Nuclear-armed Adversaries?, Tong Zhao
• Benefits of ICBMs to U.S. Nuclear Posture and Global Stability, Jerry Maxwell

• Next Steps in Arms Control: Restoring Consensus on Nuclear Policy, Tom Karako
• Qualitative Considerations for Nuclear Forces for Future Arms Control Agreements, Tom Devine and Rebecca Gibbons
• Contextualizing Russian Nuclear Policy, Alejandro Sueldo
• The Duma-Senate Logjam Revisited: Actions and Reactions in Russian Treaty Ratification Debates, Anya Loukianova

• Superpower Collusion and the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, Jane Vaynman
• Military Tradeoffs as a Constraint on Nuclear Acquisition, Gene Gerzhoy
• The Question of Nuclear Disarmament and the Enforcement Paradox, Jonathan Snider
• Transition to Zero: A Change Leadership Perspective, Paul Higson

• Multi-actinide resonance ionization mass spectrometry (RIMS) for Nuclear Forensics Applications and Rapid Response, Brett Isselhardt
• Characterization of Uranium Oxyfluoride Particles for Nuclear Safeguards, Ruth Kips
• Verification Challenges at Low Numbers, Paul Booker

• Iran's Nuclear Strategy: Understanding Tehran's Acquisition Pathway, Patrick Disney
• Strengthening the IAEA: the Double Track, Sonia Drobysz
• Transnational Networks and Nonproliferation: Strengthening the Multilateral Nuclear Export Control Regime, Michael M. Lieberman