This occasional paper explores the impact of technological change and the evolving geopolitical environment on the future weapons of mass destruction threat.  Technological advances will enable new forms of chemical and biological weapons, and may increase proliferation risks for nuclear weapons. An increasingly multipolar international system could make weapons of mass destruction more attractive, while declining Western influence could undermine regimes intended to control their proliferation and use. The authors conclude by posing answers to the question: “How should the United States prepare for such a future?”

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