"Despite a steep drawdown in U.S. and Russian nuclear forces in the years after 1991, both the United States and Russia continue to maintain large arsenals of strategic nuclear weapons poised for immediate launch. Under the most optimistic projections, these arsenals will remain large and launch-ready for decades. This book critically evaluates this posture and its underlying rationale. It reviews U.S. nuclear strategy and assesses the risks of inadvertent and deliberate nuclear attack in today's world with special attention given to a deteriorating Russian command and control system.". "The authors argue that small U.S. and Russian arsenals on low alert satisfy all reasonable requirements of deterrence while greatly alleviating the more urgent problem of operational safety. They present a blueprint for making deep cuts in these arsenals and for taking them off hair-trigger alert."--BOOK JACKET.