Report to Congress on U.S. Extended Deterrence and Regional Nuclear Capabilities

The following is the July 10, 2026, Congressional Research Service report, U.S. Extended Deterrence and Regional Nuclear Capabilities.  From the Report One of the stated goals of U.S. nuclear weapons policy has been to extend deterrence to over 30 U.S. “allies and partners” and assure these countries that the United States will come to their aid, including potentially by using U.S. nuclear weapons, if they are attacked. The 2010, 2018, and 2022 Nuclear Posture Reviews (NPRs), which are periodic executive branch assessments of U.S. nuclear policy, argued for strengthening extended deterrence and posited that it supported U.S. nuclear nonproliferation goals.