ABSTRACT
When NATO leaders decided at the April 2009 Summit in Strasbourg that a new Strategic Concept would be developed, many expected to have an opportunity to re-examine and reduce the role of nuclear weapons in NATO strategy. The primary catalyst for these expectations was the growth in support for the concept of a world without nuclear weapons. This support was first signaled by the “Gang of Four” 1 and was later endorsed by President Obama in his Prague speech. The specific focus of attention was the continued presence in Europe of approximately 180 US nuclear warheads and the impending decision regarding the modernization of the dual-capable aircraft (DCA) with which they would be deployed.
