"New START matters to our security, to the security of the alliance, to the cohesion of the (NATO) alliance," said Tom Countryman, former assistant secretary of State for international security and nonproliferation,
"New START was flawed from the beginning," National Security Adviser John Bolton said Tuesday. "It is due to expire in February 2021 and while no decision has been made, it is unlikely to be extended. We need to focus on something better. And we will."
The Sixth Domain is not defined by geography. It’s a new kind of conflict in which autonomy and networked systems allow thousand-dollar consumer electronics to destroy multi-million-dollar conventional weapons systems.
US may face destabilizing Russian interference with NTMs "while demand for strategic intelligence on Russian strategic nuclear forces from space-based NTMs goes up significantly," says Michael Gleason.
In any post-New START nuclear buildup, Russia will "at least initially" have an edge over the US, says retired Lt. Gen. Frank Klotz, former head of Air Force Global Strike Command.
Officials from the National Security Council, Defense Intelligence Agency, and the State Department all hinted Moscow and Beijing are violating the treaty -- only to retreat into vague statements when pressed.
The resignation of Trump's assistant secretary for arms control and verification weakens the State Department's already shaky bench in arms control talks.
Government can’t stop to update systems, so modernization has to happen without interruptions.
The 12-hull, $128 billion Columbia class program is the Navy’s cornerstone project not only for a new class of submarines, but also for the United States’ nuclear triad, which relies on a mix of air, land, and sea-launched nuclear missiles.
As President Trump prepares to meet Vladimir Putin in a high-stakes one-on-one meeting, there is growing and legitimate concern in Washington and European capitals about concessions Trump might make in the hopes of getting along with the Russian strongman. The anxiety is warranted, given President Trump’s public statements on NATO and the invasion of Ukraine, […]
UPDATED: We Run Op-Ed; Pentagon Announces LRSO Contract The Pentagon just awarded the third major contract in the modernization of the nuclear triad. First came the B-21 bomber. Then the Columbia-class submarine, to replace the Ohio class boomers. Two days ago they awarded Boeing and Northrop Grumman contracts to begin work on the new version […]
If the Trump administration wants to negotiate an arms control treaty with Russia, it must meet several preconditions. The Times of London reports that then President-elect Donald Trump signaled he would consider a nuclear arms reduction treaty with the Russians. He was quoted as saying, “For one thing, I think nuclear weapons should be way down and […]
Do more with less: streamline workflows, reduce duplication, invest upfront to save long-term.
Opponents of nuclear modernization worry that the presidential elections this year could end their hopes of killing a number of nuclear modernization programs—such as the Long Range Stand-Off cruise missile (LRSO) and the B-61 Mod 12 life extension program. Unfortunately for nuclear minimalists and abolitionists, President Obama has been true to his word and continued to support nuclear […]
Here’s a thought experiment. What if Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders becomes president? What would a Sanders defense program look like? Yes, yes, a near win in Iowa does not a presidential nominee make. Even though he’ll probably win in his neighboring state of New Hampshire, there is a long slog to the convention. Then there is […]
Lost in much of the initial coverage of the $80 billion Long Range Strike Bomber about specs and jobs is that the contract award is the latest step forward in an unnecessary and unsustainable projected spending binge to rebuild the U.S. nuclear arsenal in its current image. According to a January 2015 Congressional Budget Office (CBO) report, the direct costs of the […]
Barack Obama is not likely to be mistaken for Teddy Roosevelt. Yes, his foreign policy has been quite soft-spoken—especially when addressing openly hostile states such as Iran. But he has whittled America’s “big stick” down to kindling. While “resetting” with Russia and “engaging” with Iran, Mr. Obama has presided over a tremendous down-sizing of U.S. […]