Assessing Implementation of the 2010 Nuclear Posture Review

In April of 2009, President Barack Obama helped revive international attention and debate on the feasibility and desirability of a world without nuclear weapons by delivering his now-famous Prague Speech. In the speech, Obama articulated "America's commitment to seek the peace and security of a world without nuclear weapons" and thus set a cooperative tone for a busy year of international engagement on nonproliferation and nuclear security issues. However, Obama was frank that this world would not be reached easily, and "perhaps not in [his] lifetime." Moreover, he maintained that nuclear weapons serve a purpose and that, so long as they exist, the United States would maintain a nuclear arsenal to "deter any adversary." U.S. nuclear policy thus encompassed two core efforts – to disarm and to deter – that were to be undertaken simultaneously. The 2010 Nuclear Posture Review (NPR) report thus established the broad framework for how these efforts would be pursued. 

This report assesses what concrete steps the United States has taken since the NPR's release to move the world closer to a world without nuclear weapons while maintaining a safe, secure and effective nuclear arsenal. It looks specifically at the five core objectives of the NPR and juxtaposes policies prescribed to fulfill these objectives with those things that have actually been done. The report therefore serves as a reference for nuclear policy analysts to track progress in implementing NPR policy recommendations over the past year.