Australia Advocates for Global Regulations on Nuclear Launches to Prevent Catastrophic Accidents

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An Australian scholar highlights that growing tensions in the Middle East and South Asia have increased the fear of conflict among nuclear-armed countries, posing a threat to humanity.

Recent years have seen a surge in nuclear threats and language, leading to renewed demands for global measures to prevent accidental or unauthorized nuclear missile launches.

A fresh analysis by Professor Emily Crawford from the University of Sydney Law School underscores the urgent need to tackle the intensifying dangers of nuclear arms.

“The rising political discord among nuclear and non-nuclear nations brings the necessity of improved nuclear weapons regulation into sharp relief,” she stated.

The research cites the combination of decaying nuclear facilities, evolving AI technology, and inadequate international cooperation as significant contributors to what it calls an “unstable and hazardous environment”.

So how do nuclear systems operate — and is an accidental launch actually possible?

Who can launch a nuclear weapon — and how it happens

Countries possessing nuclear weapons use NC3 systems, which stand for nuclear command, control and communications, Crawford explained.

She said the NC3 systems are the central nervous system of a state’s nuclear weapons program, which includes the people, policies, and technologies responsible for nuclear decision-making.

“It’s the framework that governs the process that, as its ultimate end product, results in the launch of a nuclear weapon — so it’s a phrase that encompasses the entire chain from when a decision is made to launch a nuclear weapon to the actual launch of such a weapon,” she said.

NC3 also includes the maintenance of nuclear systems, ensuring that planning and execution are conducted according to stated doctrine and policy.

Different countries have varying approaches to their NC3 systems, meaning the threshold for when a nuclear weapon could be launched is not universal.

The youth leading the push for a world without nuclear weapons image

In many countries, the NC3 infrastructure is ageing, which can pose a security risk to the entire world.

“There is currently no binding international legal standard that governs how nuclear-armed states design or operate their NC3 systems,” Crawford said.

“This gap in governance poses a real risk to global security — and it’s only growing.”

What could go wrong?

NC3 frameworks are designed to prevent accidental or unlawful launches, but Crawford warned they are increasingly under strain.

In many countries, the NC3 infrastructure is outdated, with some hardware dating back several decades.

She said these legacy systems are often poorly suited to handle modern threats, especially those involving cyberattacks or AI.

“With AI capable of simulating official statements and cyberattacks potentially disrupting vital systems, the risk of a false alarm leading to a conflict is no longer out of the question,” Crawford explained.

In such a high-stakes environment, even a single NC3 failure could lead to catastrophic consequences.

Crawford said in 2025, there have been growing concerns around disinformation and hacking campaigns targeting early warning systems.

A code of conduct

Crawford’s study calls for an international code of conduct that countries could adopt to establish a universal approach to nuclear systems.

“A commitment to ensuring that there is an accountable chain of command involved in any nuclear weapons launch decisions, a commitment to the concept that the decision to launch a weapon should never lie with just one person, to keep AI out of nuclear launch decisions, and a commitment to ‘no first strike’— that nuclear weapons would never be used offensively by a party who were not themselves subject to a nuclear attack,” she said.

A framework similar to the Missile Technology Control Regime — an initiative from the 1980s by G7 countries aimed at curbing the spread of weapons of mass destruction — could serve as a model.

An Australian academic is calling for an international code of conduct that countries could adopt to establish a universal approach to launching nuclear systems. Source: Getty / Anton Petrus

Crawford believes such a framework could be successful, as many states have already adopted most of the rules she outlined in her study.

“Because of the potentially devastating impacts of an accidental or unauthorised launch, most states have been very pragmatic about embracing guidelines that ensure that lines of communication remain open [such as nuclear hotlines] and that measures should exist to prevent unnecessary escalation of hostilities where nuclear weapons are in the mix,” she said.

“The US, UK and China have stated their commitment to not use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear weapons states or nuclear-weapons free zones; China adopts a ‘no first use’ policy, as does India; France adopts the two-person rule.”

But she acknowledged not all countries would support universal guidelines, as political differences may lead some to reject certain rules.