Document Type
Article
Publication Date
11-24-2025
Abstract
The U.S. Navy has long had a policy of neither confirming nor denying the presence of nuclear weapons aboard its warships and facilities, which in recent times has been accompanied by the proviso that current policy does not call for the deployment of nuclear weapons at sea. It now appears increasingly likely, however, that this latter policy is changing. Integration of the sea- or submarine-launched nuclear cruise missile (SLCM-N) back into conventional forces is planned to deter opponents’ use of tactical or theater nuclear weapons in a regional conflict. Given this (impending) conventional-nuclear integration, should the U.S. Navy change its declaratory statements about nuclear weapons?
Recommended Citation
Larsen, Jeffrey A. and Wirtz, James J., "Neither Confirm Nor Deny—The U.S. Navy’s Declaratory Policy on Nuclear Weapons (Summer/Autumn 2025 Review)" (2025). Naval War College Press Preprints. 2.
https://digital-commons.usnwc.edu/preprints/2
