Nuclear-Armed Adversaries and the Joint Commander

The end of the cold war changed the nuclear challenge facing the United States: the predominant threat has become a small number of nuclear weapons in the hands of regional belligerents.1 Although such adversaries cannot directly threaten U.S. national survival, they could seriously threaten American interests and allies, undermine regional stability, and greatly complicate U.S. military action if conflict were to erupt. High-priority initiatives are underway to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons. Nevertheless, several potential opponents remain intent on acquiring a nuclear capability