Nuclear latency

Nuclear latency

Nuclear latency is the condition of a country possessing the technology to quickly build nuclear weapons, without having actually yet done so.[1] Because such latent capability is not proscribed by the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, as a work-around of the treaty this is sometimes called the "Japan Option", as Japan is a clear case of a country with complete technical prowess to develop a nuclear weapon quickly.[2][3]

This term has also been used to refer to the 1989 incident in which North Korea began invalidating the Non-Proliferation Treaty.

References

  1. ^ Panofsky, Wolfgang K. H. (June 14, 2007). "Capability versus intent: The latent threat of nuclear proliferation". "Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists". http://www.thebulletin.org/web-edition/op-eds/capability-versus-intent-the-latent-threat-of-nuclear-proliferation. Retrieved 2009-08-04. 
  2. ^ Cole, Juan (2009-10-07). "Does Iran really want the bomb? Perhaps what Iran wants is the ability to produce a nuclear weapon fast, rather than have a standing arsenal". Salon. http://www.salon.com/opinion/feature/2009/10/07/iran_nuclear/index.html. 
  3. ^ "Hypothesis: Iran Seeks the "Japan Option"". Slate. 2009-10-07. http://slatest.slate.com/id/2231756/entry/2/. 
Stub icon This article related to weaponry is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.