On 21–22 November, the SIPRI Weapons of Mass Destruction Programme hosted a closed-door workshop on the theme ‘Nuclear Escalation Pathways and Outer Space: Views from Europe’. The workshop was held at SIPRI in Stockholm as part of a research project sponsored by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).
The workshop convened experts and policymakers to discuss potential nuclear escalation pathways involving space systems, in the context of the changing European security environment and ongoing war in Ukraine. Participants assessed recent developments in the use of space for military operations and considered how threats to these systems may spark escalation, or even lead to nuclear use.
About the SIPRI Weapons of Mass Destruction Programme
The Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) Programme at SIPRI seeks to contribute to the understanding of trends and developments pertaining to nuclear, chemical and biological weapons, and outer space. It considers their implications for an increasingly complex security landscape and seeks to identify approaches to address the risks and challenges WMD pose.
Click here to read more about the SIPRI WMD Programme.