Ariel Center for
Policy Research

A JOURNAL OF POLITICS AND THE ARTS

 

NATIV   ■   Volume Eleven   ■   Number 6 (65) ■  November 1998   ■  Ariel Center for Policy Research

 

SYNOPSIS

 


Nuclear Deterrence in the Information Age

Stephen J. Cimbala

One aspect of the much touted "Revolution in Military Affairs" has been the possibility of using information warfare as a force multiplier or even as an independent arm of strategy.  However, new means for information conflict will not appear within a political and military vacuum.  The proliferation of nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction and of long range delivery systems for these weapons is among those patterns carried forward from the Cold War into the "new world order". There is potential danger and great uncertainty in the future relationship between nuclear weapons and information warfare.  Nuclear deterrence depends upon the reliability and certainty of information about the sides' capabilities and intentions. Information warfare attempts to deny the opponent a clear picture of what is happening by destroying or disrupting its information means for coping with crisis and war.

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