The Global Nuclear Landscape

Energy, Non-proliferation and Disarmament
1. Auflage 2024
ISBN: 978-1-032-50890-0
Verlag: Routledge

Buch, Englisch, 306 Seiten, Format (B × H): 152 mm x 229 mm, Gewicht: 446 g

Like shifting sands of a desert, the global nuclear landscape changes every few years across its three main constituents - nuclear energy, non-proliferation and disarmament. Each of these has seen phases of cautious optimism, deep scepticism and outright pessimism over the last two decades. This book offers a bird’s eye view on all the three, even as the individual authors offer a worm’s eye view on each specific topic within the larger ambit.

The first section of the book examines developments in the nuclear energy sector. A broad-brush scan of the contemporary drivers and challenges for nuclear energy at a global level, as also that of India, reveals a positive trend line. There is also cautious optimism around the concept, developments and prospects of small modular reactors. It remains to be seen how effectively and quikcly licensing and regulation issues are resolved for the new concepts to become commericially viable.

The second part of the book is devoted to non-proliferation. Vertical nucluear and missile proliferation amongst nuclear armed states, and horizontal proliferation cases of Iran and possibilities in East Asia are considered. Nuclear terrorism and the state of the NPT are also examined. Collectively, these issues reflect a mood of pessimism on non-proliferation at this juncture.

Neither is there much to cheer on nuclear disarmament. The last section of the book examines the consequences of use of nuclear weapons, concepts of CBMs and arms control, and recent disarmament initiatives. A tentative exploration of the prospects of disarmament in the wake of Russia-Ukraine conflict is also undertaken. A hope that good sense will prevail, and fear that it might not, seem to coexist at this moment.

It is in India's interest to proactively shape the landscape across these three elements. The book seeks to provide the basis to do so.

Zielgruppe

Academic, General, and Postgraduate

Autoren/Hrsg.

Sethi, Manpreet

Fachgebiete

• Sozialwissenschaften Politikwissenschaft Internationale Beziehungen Konflikt- und Friedensforschung, Rüstungskontrolle, Abrüstung
• Sozialwissenschaften Politikwissenschaft Militärwesen Nationale und Internationale Sicherheits- und Verteidigungspolitik
• Geisteswissenschaften Geschichtswissenschaft Geschichtliche Themen Militärgeschichte
• Sozialwissenschaften Politikwissenschaft Regierungspolitik Außenpolitik

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Preface

Contributors

Introduction

Nuclear Energy

1. Current Nuclear Energy Reality: Drivers and Challenges

Manpreet Sethi

2. India’s Nuclear Energy Scenario

Zoya Akhter

3. Emergence of Small Modular Reactors: Challenges and Opportunities

Manpreet Sethi and Zoya Akhter

4. Military Applications of Nuclear Power Plants

Anil Chopra

Nuclear Non-proliferation

5. Nuclear Doctrines of Great Powers and Vertical Nuclear Proliferation Trends

Abhishek Saxena

6. The State of the NPT: Challenges Ahead

Kanica Rakhra

7. The Iran Nuclear Imbroglio: End in Sight?

Sheel Kant Sharma

8. Nuclear Proliferation in East Asia: Will AUKUS Cause a New Arms Race?

Jagannath Panda

9. Contemporary Missile Developments in United States and Russia post-INF Treaty

Silky Kaur

10. Nuclear Missile Development Trends in Southern Asia: An Analysis from 2011 to 2021

Nasima Khatoon

11. The Threat of N-Terrorism: A Contemporary Assessment

Sitakanta Mishra

Nuclear Disarmament

12. Understanding Deterrence Breakdown in the Indian Context

Prakash Menon

13. Mapping Arms Control and CBMs: From Cold War Years to Present Times

R. Rajaraman

14. The Current State of Play in Nuclear Disarmament

Swaran Singh and Reshmi Kazi

15. Prospects of Nuclear Disarmament after the Russia-Ukraine Conflict: Could New Opportunities Arise?

Manpreet Sethi

Index

Über Autor(innen)

Manpreet Sethi, Distinguished Fellow at the Centre for Air Power Studies (CAPS), New Delhi, has been leading the project on Nuclear Security at the Centre for the last 20 years. She is an expert on the entire spectrum of nuclear issues ranging from nuclear energy, strategy, non-proliferation, disarmament, arms control and ballistic missile defence. She has authored, edited and co-authored eight books and three monographs. She also has published over 100 papers in books/academic journals of repute. Her book Nuclear Strategy: India's March towards Crediblev Deterrence (2009) is deemed essential reading at many colleges and armed forces institutions.