ABSTRACT
This chapter highlights the key idea of this book, which is the establishment of a formal, effective and synchronised command and control for the management of nuclear weapons operations has become a global norm based on the experience and practices of the developed nuclear weapon states (NWS). Here the practices of the original NWS have influenced the development of nuclear C2 in the newer NWS such as India, and Pakistan. It also advances seven interrelated but tentative conclusions on key influencing factors that have and will continue to impact on the evolution and stability of nuclear C2 systems. It highlights how the issue of limited nuclear testing continues to cast a shadow of instability over nuclear C2 of new NWS – India and Pakistan. The chapter further advances the idea that based on the analytical framework formulated in this book, the stability of nuclear C2 in other NWS can be examined, for example North Korea.
