Hybrid Newtorks and the Future of Proliferation

Abstract

The days of a state pursuing nuclear weapons using its own state prerogatives and resources are over. Instead, the state must rely on cooperation with private individuals and firms around the world, and form proliferation networks. In this paper, I develop a theory of the structure and behavior of non-state and hybrid state/non-state proliferation networks. I argue that proliferation networks can be thought of as overlapping social and logistical networks for which arranging and then moving technology around the world is not a trivial task. This reliance on non-state actors, particularly as brokers, allows states to acquire, transport, and sell what they want, but introduces vulnerabilities and trade-offs into the networks. Non-state networks that trade in nuclear and illicit materials face the same trade-offs.