Video On Demand

PONI Live Debate: Triad Modernization

January 27 – 28, 2014

"Resolved: The United States should modernize only one leg of the nuclear triad.”

featuring

Dr. Christopher A. Preble, Vice President for Defense and Foreign Policy Studies, the Cato Institute

and

Mr. Elbridge Colby, Fellow, the Center for a New American Security

The Project on Nuclear Issues (PONI) is pleased to invite you to a live debate over the future of the U.S. nuclear triad.

Should the United States continue to pay for a nuclear triad? Increased budgetary austerity and a looming modernization “chokepoint” are exerting growing pressure on the U.S. nuclear arsenal. Some nuclear experts have begun to argue that the United States cannot or should not continue to modernize all three legs of the nuclear triad. Instead, these “dyad” or “monad” proponents advocate letting one or more legs age out of existence. On the other hand, triad supporters see significant value in maintaining a diverse nuclear deterrent in the sea, on land, and in the air. These triad enthusiasts believe the modernization costs are worth the deterrence benefits. Dr. Christopher A. Preble, Vice President for Defense and Foreign Policy Studies at the Cato Institute, and Mr. Elbridge Colby, Fellow at the Center for a New American Security, will debate these questions at the next PONI Live Debate.

PONI’s ongoing live debate series, an extension of the PONI Debates the Issues blog, aims to provide a forum for in-depth exploration of the arguments on both sides of key nuclear policy issues. Live debates provide a place for nuanced, interactive discussions that often get lost in the talking points. 

Please join us on January 27 for what promises to be an exciting debate on a crucial issue. The event will be held in room C115 of CSIS, located at 1616 Rhode Island Avenue NW. A cocktail reception will begin at 6pm, followed by the debate from 6:30pm-8pm.  Sign up using the registration link on the right side of this page.

The debate will also be webcast live as a “webinar.”  Viewers can ask questions of the debaters in real-time by emailing PONI@csis.org. Tune into this website on January 27 for the livestream.