DTRA’s Director Rebecca Hersman recently visited the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) for discussions in London, England on July 17. Ms. Hersman leads more than 2,200 military and civilian experts operating in over 50 countries, to provide the Department of Defense, the U.S. Government, and international partners with leading-edge capabilities to counter and deter adversary use of WMDs and emerging threats.

The fast-evolving threat environment raises new challenges for deterring strategic attacks, preventing WMD proliferation, increasing resilience and dealing with WMD-armed adversaries in crisis and conflict. Previous approaches to risk reduction, arms control and verification may no longer be applicable, but the need to stabilize deterrence relationships and prevent escalation to the level of WMD use remains vitally important. The roundtable served as an opportunity to learn about DTRA’s adaptation to the new strategic circumstances and its current priorities, as the dialogue compared perspectives on the challenges facing the U.S. and its allies.