The paper begins with a general introduction and update to Fourth Generation Nuclear Weapons (FGNW), and then addresses some particularly important military aspects on which there has been only limited public discussion so far. These aspects concern the unique military characteristics of FGNWs which make them radically different from both nuclear weapons based on previous-generation nuclear-exp...

Recently, there has been a significant interest in employing Terahertz (THz) technology, spectroscopy and imaging for standoff detection applications. There are three prime motivations for this interest: (a) THz radiation can detect concealed weapons since many non-metallic, non-polar materials are transparent to THz radiation, (b) target compounds such as explosives, and bio/chemical weapons h...

The number of casualties was determined for 513 incidents involving U.S. Navy warships sunk or damaged during World War II. Ship type and weapon were significant factors in determining the numbers of wounded and killed. Multiple weapon attacks and kamikazes yielded more wounded in action than other weapon types. Multiple weapons and torpedos resulted in a higher incidence of killed in action th...

A new line of nuclear winter research shows that even small, regional nuclear wars could have catastrophic global consequences. However, major disarmament to avoid nuclear winter goes against the reasons nuclear weapon states have for keeping their weapons in the first place, in particular deterrence. To reconcile these conflicting aims, this paper develops the concept of winter-safe deterrence...

Sitting in our offices early in the morning of September 11, 2001, we, like many across the world, watched with incredulity the twin terrorist strikes on the World Trade Centre. Riveted to the television screen, we witnessed the beginnings of a nightmare whose images will likely remain with us for a long time. September 11, and the events that followed, changed our assumptions of world terroris...

despite being the member of the international disarmament and non-proliferation conventions i.e. non-proliferation treaty (npt), chemical weapons convention (cwc) and biological weapons convention (bwc) which include their own specific export control regimes, some developed countries established parallel export control regimes that are against their commitments under aforementioned internationa...

Subject: RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF A COMPREHENSIVE FEDERAL AND STATE OF CALIFORNIA BAN ON ASSAULT WEAPONS AND REGULATION OF AMMUNITION The following resolution is presented by Trustee Svonkin: WHEREAS, Gun violence has been escalating for many years, with devastating mass shootings occurring throughout the nation, reaching notoriety at Columbine High School (CO) and Virginia Tech and, more recen...

As India seeks to develop and maintain its nuclear weapons arsenal, it faces the critical question of how to ensure the reliability and safety of its nuclear weapons, especially as they age, in the absence of full-fledged nuclear explosive tests. Further, India must decide how to increase the yield (or decrease the yield, as needed) and reduce the weights of its existing weapons designs—that is...

Many male animals have evolved exaggerated traits that they use in combat with rival males to gain access to females and secure their reproductive success. But some male animals invest in nuptial gifts that gains them access to females. Both these reproductive strategies are costly in that resources are needed to produce the weapon or nuptial gift. In closely related species where both weapons ...

The terrorist attacks of the past few years have made us all more aware that the threat from biological weapons needs to be tackled urgently and on many fronts. International agreements such as the 1972 Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BWC) are one vital component. The next meeting of the BWC signatories will take place this month in Geneva, from 11 to 22 November. The last meeting, in ...