WMD Insights

The Comparative Strategic Cultures Curriculum project is an ASCO effort that explored approaches for leveraging strategic culture analyses to understanding WMD behavior. The report includes a collection of commissioned essays and case studies that examine the field of strategic culture and assess its applicability as a methodological approach to understanding decisions to acquire, proliferate, or use WMD, or abide by or violate international norms regarding WMD. More information about this project, and the essays and case studies, can be found at http://www.dtra.mil/
ASCO/comparative
strategic
cultures.cfm

This monthly publication seeks to provide timely and noteworthy unclassified information on international attitudes towards weapons of mass destruction and efforts to curb their proliferation. Our goal is to assist our readers in planning for today’s issues and those that may be just over the horizon. Your opinions about this product are important to us. Please click Feedback to take a short electronic survey. Thank you

Jonathan Fox
DTRA Program Manager

Michael Moodie
Editor-in-Chief

Jennifer Borchard Managing Editor

Brenda McVeigh
Layout and Design

Timothy Long
Web Developer

The WMD Insights project is sponsored by the Advanced Systems and Concepts Office (ASCO) at the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA). ASCO identifies, encourages, and executes high-impact projects to promote new thinking, address technology gaps and improve the operational capabilities of DTRA, DOD and other government agencies in response to weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and related threats. A variety of ASCO studies, conference reports, and papers can be found at http://www.dtra.mil/
ASCO/publications.cfm

CURRENT ARTICLES - Russia

Downing of Georgian Drone over Breakaway Region Highlights Potential Proliferation Challenges S
	On Sunday, April 20, 2008, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) belonging to the Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) was shot down while performing a reconnaissance mission over Georgia’s breakaway region of Abkhazia . . . view article

PREVIOUS ARTICLES - Russia

June 2008 Issue

U.S. BMD Plans Gain NATO’s Endorsement but Not Russia’s

Bush and Putin Call for Strategic Partnership

April 2008 Issue

Ukrainian Parliamentarian Calls for Renuclearization

March 2008 Issue

Russian BMD Anxieties Impact CFE Treaty

Test of Iranian Space Launch Vehicle Causes Another Crack in Russian-Iranian Relations

February 2008 Issue

Russia Tests New Strategic Weapons as Vice Premier Rejects Proposals for Increasing the Rate of Weapons Production

Moscow Rejects U.S. Written Proposals on Missile Defense, Downplays New Iranian Missile Test

Eager to Increase Nuclear Exports, Russia Awaits Nuclear Suppliers Group Exemption for India

December 2007/January 2008 Issue

Questions Persist on Reported Russian Lease of Nuclear Sub to India

Progress Continues in U.S.-Russian Nuclear Cooperative Threat Reduction Efforts

Russian Military is Working to Enhance Precision Targeting and Early Warning Capabilities

Russian President Putin’s Visit to Iran: Much Speculation, Few Successes

November 2007

The Gates-Rice Trip to Moscow: Few Promising Signs Expected

October 2007

Russian Strategic Aviation Begins Regular Long-Range Flights: Putin Announces “Enhanced Air Patrols”

Russian Nuclear Industry's Domination of Former Soviet Enterprises Encounters Challenges

September 2007

Litvinenko Poisoning Focuses Interest on Polonium-210

U.S. and Russia Set to Begin Talks to Replace Start I Treaty

Update: Russia's Recent Test of New Submarine-Launched Missile Succeeds

July/August 2007 Issue

The Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism Drives Forward

June 2007 Issue

Myanmar Signs Deal with Rosatom to Build Nuclear Research Reactor

Update: The Bushehr Payment Dispute

Russian Chemical Weapons Dismantlement: Progress with Problems

No consensus in Ukraine Over Missile Defense

Russia and Kazakhstan Establish a Joint Venture for Uranium Enrichment

Russian Navy Launched First Borey-Class Submarine, but Bulava Missile Still Not Ready

May 2007 Issue

The Bushehr Payment Dispute: Moscow Signals the Limits of Its Support for Iran

South Korea, Russia Seek to Accelerate Development of South Korean Space Launch Vehicle

April 2007 Issue

Special Report: The European Ballistic Missile Defense Dispute

Part 1 - U.S. The View from Eastern Europe

Part 2 - U.S. The View from Western Europe

March 2007 Issue

Special Report: Chinese Anti-Satellite Weapon Test -
The Shot Heard 'Round the World

Part II - Russia Walks a Fine Line in Assessing Chinese Anti-Satellite Weapon Test

Iran's Internal Debate on Nuclear Issues Heats Up; Russia Presses Tehran for "Positive Steps"

Uranium Smuggling Incident Reinforces Concerns About Nuclear Trafficking in South Caucasus

Russian Academy of Military Sciences Debates Role of Nuclear Weapons in Conference on New Military Doctrine

Russia Enacts Reform of Nuclear Industry

Chief of Russia General Staff Warns of Possible Russian Withdrawal from the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty

Russia Deplores U.S. Sanctions; Declares They Will Not Affect Arms Trade With Tehran

February 2007 Issue

Russia’s AtomStroyExport Loses China Contract, Wins Bulgaria Deal

NATO Summit Underscores Differences with Moscow Over Missile Defense

Russian Strategic Forces Meet Successes and Setbacks at Year End

India’s Missile Program: Diverging Trajectories

December 2006/January 2007 Issue

Moroccan Nuclear Energy Program Gets Boost From Russia