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Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force David Flosi points out aspects of an ICBM to Chief Master Sgt. Edwin Ludwigsen, command chief for Air Force Personnel Command, during a visit to the Alfa-06 launch facility near Pine Bluffs, Wyoming, July 2, 2024. Flosi visited the 90th Missile Wing at F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming, and the missile field to witness how Airmen continue to provide 24/7 strategic deterrence, standing ready to respond at a moment’s notice in support of the most responsive leg of the nuclear triad. (U.S. Air Force photo by Glenn S. Robertson)

Nuclear Proliferation's Impact on US National Security Policy

Published May 1, 2026
By HAF A5SM

TOPIC SPONSOR: HAF A5SM

In an era marked by increasing nuclear proliferation, the role of nuclear power and the dynamics of nuclear deterrence are evolving. How has increased nuclear proliferation impacted the execution of US national security policy?

Donoho, Rachel, "U.S. Nuclear Energy as an Instrument of National Power," SAASS thesis, 2025, 121 pgs.
- Donoho addresses the impact of nuclear proliferation on national security by exploring the concept of "nuclear latency"—the inherent capacity of a state with a peaceful civilian nuclear energy program to transition into producing nuclear weapons. She explains that states often pursue nuclear latency for energy security, financial gain, or as a strategic hedge, which complicates the execution of U.S. nonproliferation and security policies. To mitigate this threat and enhance its own national power, Donoho recommends that the U.S. act as a global "nuclear energy broker". By leveraging its supplier power to distribute low-enriched uranium (LEU) and advanced commercial nuclear technology exclusively to states that comply with strict nonproliferation agreements, the U.S. can alleviate other nations' energy security concerns while actively inhibiting their need or ability to develop weapons-grade fissile materials.
Glowacki, Steve, "Self-Defense Policy and Strategy: The United States, Israel and Article 51 from 1945 to 1986," SAASS thesis, 2025, 115 pgs.
- Glowacki answers this by exploring how the existential threat of hostile states acquiring nuclear weapons fundamentally shifted the United States' legal and strategic policies regarding self-defense. By analyzing the 1981 Israeli preemptive strike on Iraq's Osirak nuclear facility (Operation Opera), he illustrates the dilemma the Reagan administration faced between strictly condemning a violation of a sovereign nation's airspace and acknowledging the severe threat posed by nuclear proliferation. Glowacki explains that the dangers of nuclear proliferation ultimately pushed the US away from a narrow, idealistic interpretation of self-defense toward a more pragmatic, "expansionist" approach. To navigate this, the administration chose to separate the legal and political aspects of preemptive strikes, allowing the US to view Israeli actions against nuclear threats more sympathetically and actively shaping future US self-defense policy discourse.
Rackley, Maj. Joshua A. "Deterrent or Catalyst: Examining the Role of US National Security Strategy in Nuclear Proliferation," GCPME thesis, 2020, 36 pgs.