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Chapter 6: The Alliance's Role in Arms Control Developments relating to Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Weapons The proliferation of Nuclear, Biological and Chemical (NBC) weapons and their means of delivery are a matter of serious concern for the Alliance. As part of its broad approach to security, NATO Allies support non-proliferation regimes, both conventional and nuclear, and thus are pursuing a two-pronged political and defence-related approach against the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their delivery means. In spite of welcome progress in strengthening international non-proliferation regimes, major challenges with respect to proliferation remain. The Alliance recognises that proliferation can occur despite efforts to prevent it and can pose a direct military threat to the Allies’ populations, territory, and forces. Some states, including some on NATO’s periphery and in other regions, sell or acquire or try to acquire NBC weapons and delivery means. Other, non-state actors have also shown the potential to create and use some of these weapons. NATO has greatly reduced its reliance on nuclear forces in the last decade and major reductions have been made in the forces themselves by the three member countries of the Alliance which maintain nuclear forces, namely the United States, France and the United Kingdom. However, as noted in the Strategic Concept, the security of the Alliance remains subject to a wide variety of military and non-military risks which are multi-directional and often difficult to predict. The existence of powerful nuclear forces outside the Alliance constitutes a significant factor which the Alliance has to take into account if security and stability in the Euro-Atlantic area are to be maintained. However, taking into account the present security situation, NATO’s ability to defuse a crisis through diplomatic or other means or, should it be necessary, to mount a successful conventional defence, has significantly improved and the circumstances in which any use of nuclear weapons might have to be contemplated are therefore extremely remote. Alliance strategy and force structure do not include a chemical or biological warfare capability. Allies support universal adherence to the relevant disarmament regimes.