Managing Deterrence in the 21st Century

Abstract

The introductory chapter to this volume opened with the premise that US allies in Europe and the Indo-Pacific need to become more embedded in, and proficient with, discussions with Washington over escalation and nuclear deterrence. In the Indo-Pacific, long gone are the days when the US and its allies were content with a division of labour that saw Washington manage the risk of great power conflict with little input from its allies. Extended deterrence consultations with Japan and South Korea have created an expectation of greater transparency from Washington over when, where and under what circumstances the US would employ nuclear weapons. But despite this, alliances in the Indo-Pacific remain far from the mature political and military discussions that can provide a common basis for deterrence communication, alignment of force structure and posture, crisis management, as well as managing enduring differences between allies about how they engage their respective populations.