Questioning the Holy Trinity: why the US nuclear triad still makes sense

Despite renewed enthusiasm for nuclear disarmament, a contemporary security environment far removed from that of the Cold War, and increasing budgetary pressures at home, US interests continue to be best served by retaining a triad of nuclear forces. While options for a reduced force structure may appear to offer short-term political and economic expediency, in the long run a three-legged deterrent - possibly consisting of less delivery vehicles, operational warheads and even potentially de-alerted forces - represents the best way to balance the competing requirements of contemporary and future US nuclear policy. Indeed, it may be that retaining the triad provides the most realistic method of re-establishing US-Russia strategic stability, and the most credible basis for advancing the drive for global nuclear reductions, strengthening global nuclear security, and even working towards nuclear abolition.