Commissioner of the Congressional Commission on the Strategic Posture of the United States, Leonor was appointed by House Armed Services Committee Chairman Adam Smith to examine the long-term strategic posture of the United States, including a threat assessment, detailed review of nuclear weapons policy and strategy, and recommendations as the most appropriate strategic posture and strategy moving forward. Leonor Tomero previously served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear and Missile Defense Policy in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, supporting the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy and the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategy, Plans, and Capabilities by developing strategies, informing policies, and conducting oversight of nuclear deterrence policy, arms control, and missile defense policy.

We welcome Leonor to the podcast this week to discuss why nuclear deterrence is still stuck in 20th-century architecture and thinking and some of the ways we could leverage artificial intelligence to improve it. We dig into what’s happening now regarding potential nuclear threats, and Leonor shares why China is currently the pacing threat. Leonor also discusses the impact of the war on Ukraine on strategic stability and why the U.S. dialogue with Russia was initially suspended.

“The only current surviving nuclear arms control treaty is going to is going to expire in 2026. And we're not negotiating any new agreement." - Leonor Tomero

"Compared to Russia and Chin, U.S. culture, entrepreneurship, creativity, and imagination, really is our unique advantage in terms of innovation." - Leonor Tomero

"It's not about adding more nuclear weapons. It's about enhancing deterrence much earlier in the conflict, enhancing resilience, and making our platforms a lot more survivable." - Leonor Tomero

This week on Disarming Data:

• Leonor’s professional journey and why she’s now focusing on how innovation should be applied to deterrence
• New concepts for strengthening deterrence
• The huge impact on Russia of the war on Ukraine beyond government-imposed sanctions
• What the Department of Defence is looking at for missile tracking and missile warning
• The potential impact of attacks on satellites and other assets in space
• The importance of using new innovative technology in defense
• Why the US administration has said that China is the pacing threat right now
• Why mutually assured destruction (MAD) is still a key tenant of preventing nuclear war
• Why a current area of concern is how to prevent Russia from using small tactical nuclear weapons
• How governments and organizations control the information in the public domain, particularly technological advances that would impact defense

Connect with Leonor Tomero:

• Leonor Tomero on LinkedIn

Connect with Disarming Data:

• David Biderman on LinkedIn