INTERNATIONAL POLICY ANALYSIS The Future of Nuclear Weapons in NATO IAN ANTHONY AND JOHNNY JANSSEN April 2010 ࡯ In 2010 five Allies have called for a discussion of NATO’s nuclear policy with the ob­jective of reducing the importance of nuclear weapons in Alliance security policy. Allies continue to see a role for nuclear weapons as part of a mix of capabilities needed to guarantee their security in an uncertain and fragmented international sys­tem. While NATO will continue to be a nuclear alliance, important aspects of nuclear policy may be adjusted in line with present economic, political and strategic realities. ࡯ Whether nuclear weapons will only deter nuclear attacks or play a role in deterring other forms of aggression is ripe for discussion. Neither the feasibility nor the desir­ability of tailoring nuclear deterrence to new and emerging threats has been ex­plained or discussed in Europe. ࡯ The passage of time has put the credibility of short-range nuclear forces in doubt. National plans of nuclear weapon states, NATO enlargement, the retirement of many nuclear weapons and the aging of nuclear-capable aircraft have challenged the stated rationale for maintaining US nuclear weapons in Europe: Alliance solidarity and trans-Atlantic reassurance.