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Nuclear sharing

Nuclear sharing is a physics topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Nuclear sharing rather than just read about it. In short: Nuclear sharing is a concept in deterrence theory in which a nuclear-armed country deploys nuclear weapons on the territory of a country that does not possess nuclear weapons and extends its nuclear deterrent to that country. Nuclear sharing typically also involves joint planning and training processes for potentially using them, going beyond nuclear stationing or nuclear basing, which refer to a nuclear-armed count…

Nuclear sharing — main illustration
Nuclear sharing — illustration

Key takeaways

  • Nuclear sharing belongs to physics; place it in that map before memorising details.
  • Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
  • Connect Nuclear sharing to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
  • Reproduce the core statement of Nuclear sharing from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Nuclear sharing is a concept in deterrence theory in which a nuclear-armed country deploys nuclear weapons on the territory of a country that does not possess nuclear weapons and extends its nuclear deterrent to that country. Nuclear sharing typically also involves joint planning and training processes for potentially using them, going beyond nuclear stationing or nuclear basing, which refer to a nuclear-armed country's deployment of nuclear weapons on foreign soil without an operational role for the host country's military and government. It was originally conceived during the Cold War, when the United States and the Soviet Union placed their own nuclear weapons in many non-nuclear countries of the American-aligned First World and the Soviet-aligned Second World, as part of the nuclear arms race between the two sides. However, since the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, the concept continues to be practiced by the United States and Russia. United States nuclear weapons, for delivery by fighter aircraft, are based in Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Turkey, and the United Kingdom. Russian nuclear weapons, for delivery by aircraft and short-range missiles, are deployed in Belarus. As part of nuclear sharing, the participating countries carry out consultations and make common decisions on nuclear-weapons policy, training, and deployment, and maintain technical equipment (notably nuclear-capable aircraft) that is required for the delivery of nuclear weapons. In the event of a war that turns nuclear, the United States has publicly declared—with agreement from the Eighteen-Nation Committee on Disarmament (ENDC)—that the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) would no longer be controlling.

Types

Nuclear sharing

Non-substantive In the modern form, via the usage of permissive action links (PALs), including anti-tampering systems, a host country is prevented from unilaterally detonating its shared weapons, on a short timeframe. This applies to currently shared United States and Russian weapons. Due to the lack of transfer of operational control, this has been described by scholars as non-substantive nuclear sharing.

Substantive Historically, before the introduction of PALs in 1962, the US was aware that stationing or sharing agreements were insufficient to prevent host militaries from unilaterally seizing and using nuclear launch capabilities. Memorandums show that president Dwight D. Eisenhower's goal was to “give, to all intents and purposes, control of [American nuclear] weapons” to European allies and for the US to “retain titular possession only.” This has been described by scholars as substantive nuclear sharing. One example was the simple dual-key operation of PGM-17 Thor IRBMs in the United Kingdom under Project Emily. The Royal Air Force officer key began the missile launch sequence, and the United States Air Force officer key armed the warhead, with no real protection from British seizure of the American key.

Nuclear stationing In contrast to nuclear sharing, foreign deployment of nuclear weapons and delivery systems, without cooperation from the host country's military, is termed nuclear stationing. This was the most common type of arrangement throughout the Cold War, including all foreign deployment by the USSR, and all US deployments in Asia and in European countries without sharing arrangements. Such early deployments were often highly secretive, with host governments sometimes not being informed entirely.

Technology transfer A separate but related concept is nuclear weapons technology transfer, where a state is provided with assistance to develop an independent nuclear arsenal. Examples include French collaboration with the Israeli nuclear program, Soviet collaboration with the Chinese nuclear program, Chinese collaboration with the Pakistani nuclear program., and US-UK bilateral assistance after 1957.

NATO

Historical

… excerpt ends here. Continue reading the full article.

Illustrations

Nuclear sharing: Nuclear-armed states     Nuclear-sharing states     Nuclear-weapon-free zones (NWFZ)     No nuclear weapons or sharing, but not NWFZ
Nuclear-armed states     Nuclear-sharing states     Nuclear-weapon-free zones (NWFZ)     No nuclear weapons or sharing, but not NWFZ
Nuclear sharing: Canadian CF-101B assigned to NORAD, firing an inert version of the AIR-2 Genie nuclear-armed air-to-air missile in 1982
Canadian CF-101B assigned to NORAD, firing an inert version of the AIR-2 Genie nuclear-armed air-to-air missile in 1982
Nuclear sharing: USAF MGM-13 Mace nuclear cruise missile in Okinawa, United States Civil Administration of the Ryukyu Islands, en route to Kadena Air Base, 1960s.
USAF MGM-13 Mace nuclear cruise missile in Okinawa, United States Civil Administration of the Ryukyu Islands, en route to Kadena Air Base, 1960s.
Nuclear sharing: US nuclear artillery test in Nevada, 1953. Nuclear artillery was deployed throughout NATO countries in Europe, concentrated in West Germany.
US nuclear artillery test in Nevada, 1953. Nuclear artillery was deployed throughout NATO countries in Europe, concentrated in West Germany.
Nuclear sharing: Nuclear-capable aircraft at Kleine Brogel Air Base, 1984: A British F-4 Phantom II, a US F-111 Aardvark, a US F-15 Eagle and a Belgian Mirage 5.
Nuclear-capable aircraft at Kleine Brogel Air Base, 1984: A British F-4 Phantom II, a US F-111 Aardvark, a US F-15 Eagle and a Belgian Mirage 5.

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Nuclear sharing

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Nuclear sharing claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In physics, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Nuclear sharing before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Nuclear sharing ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Nuclear sharing

In research
Nuclear sharing appears in physics research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry
Engineering practice reuses Nuclear sharing in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom
Nuclear sharing is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Nuclear weapons policy, Politics of NATO, Sharing, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life
Look for Nuclear sharing outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Nuclear sharing in 20 minutes

  1. Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
  2. Close the page and write down what Nuclear sharing means in your own words.
  3. Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
  4. Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
  5. Explain Nuclear sharing out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Nuclear sharing in simple terms?

Nuclear sharing is a concept in deterrence theory in which a nuclear-armed country deploys nuclear weapons on the territory of a country that does not possess nuclear weapons and extends its nuclear deterrent to that country. Nuclear sharing typically also involves joint planning and training proce…

Why does Nuclear sharing matter?

Because it connects several physics ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Nuclear sharing?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Nuclear sharing.

Tags

  • Nuclear weapons policy
  • Politics of NATO
  • Sharing

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