The Nuclear threat
Almost 70 years after the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the world still faces the danger of a nuclear disaster. Although only a few states possess and acknowledge possession of nuclear weapons, the proliferation of fissile material is increasing worldwide. As weapons are modernized to become stealthier and more accurate, the relationships between nuclear-armed states are strained by distrust, miscalculations and a lack of dialogue. The Doomsday Clock, a predictor of nuclear catastrophe set by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, has moved closer to midnight than at any time since 1947.
A single nuclear device can destroy a large city and kill tens of thousands immediately, leaving tens of thousands more dead from radiation exposure or from cancer and other diseases in the months and years to come. A large nuclear war would also disrupt global food production, creating hunger around the world and threatening millions with starvation.
To minimize the risk of a nuclear attack by terrorists, the Department of Defense and its civilian partners are investing heavily in improving capabilities to prevent, detect, deter and respond to radiological and nuclear threats. These investments include enhancing the ability of U.S. law enforcement to identify and intercept radiological materials in transit, developing technologies that facilitate nuclear weapon characterization, vulnerability exploitation, and device defeat functions, and improving the ability of civil authorities to evacuate populations in the event of an accidental or deliberate release. These efforts are coordinated through the DHS Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction (CWMD) office and the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office.
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