Current Nuclear Weapons Development

http://about.bgov.com/blog/pentagon-approves-request-for-proposal-for-nuclear-submarine/
 
http://www.armscontrol.org/ACT/2015_12/Focus/The-US-Nuclear-Weapons-Spending-Binge
 
http://www.militarytimes.com/story/military/pentagon/2016/01/05/new-navy-leader-nukes-foundational-to-our-survival/78313294/
 
http://www.wsj.com/articles/nuclear-deal-fuels-irans-hard-liners-1452294637 (Registration may be required.)
 
http://news.yahoo.com/north-korea-overcomes-poverty-sanctions-cut-price-nukes-141834442--business.html
 
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/12/science/as-us-modernizes-nuclear-weapons-smaller-leaves-some-uneasy.html?_r=1
 
http://thediplomat.com/2016/01/russia-to-test-launch-16-intercontinental-ballistic-missiles-in-2016/
 
http://www.defensenews.com/story/defense/commentary/2016/01/11/commentary-nuclear-bait-and-switch-lrso/78311948/
 
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-01-13/iran-sanctions-seen-lifted-by-monday-as-nuclear-deal-implemented
 
bobbymike said:
Russia to Revamp Nuclear-Missile Force Within Decade

July 7, 2014

Russia on Friday said it plans to finish modernizing its nuclear-capable missile forces within several years, ITAR-Tass reports.

"By 2016, the share of new missile systems will reach nearly 60 percent, and by 2021 their share will increase to 98 percent," said Col. Igor Yegorov, a defense ministry spokesman for Russia's Strategic Missile Forces. The project would replace Russia's active-duty, nuclear-ready missiles left over from the Cold War. Yegorov said the upgrades would include systems designed to circumvent missile-defense technology employed by other countries, as well as improvements to their "troop- and weapon-command systems [and] combat equipment."

The spokesman added that Russia is moving this year to deliver RS-24 Yars strategic missiles to the country's Novosibirsk, Tagil and Kozelsk missile units. "At this stage, operations for their acceptance and commissioning are underway," Yegorov told ITAR-Tass in an interview. "The work for the creation of new infrastructure of positioning areas of missile regiments continues, it will ensure better conditions for the use of armaments and training of the alert forces," he added.


Meanwhile, a defense ministry insider said that new Voronezh-M and Voronezh-DM radar systems would fill in for Russian missile-detection capabilities once offered by a now-defunct satellite network, Russia Beyond the Headlines reported on Friday.
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More on that: http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Russia_Building_a_Powerful_New_Early_Warning_Radar_Network_999.html
 
http://www.spacewar.com/reports/Iran_expects_nuclear_deal_implementation_by_Sunday_official_999.html
 
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-iran-nuclear-prisoners-exclusive-idUSKCN0UU0WS
 
http://www.wsj.com/articles/mr-monizs-nuclear-warning-1452644053#livefyre-comment
 
http://www.defenseone.com/ideas/2016/01/obama-about-launch-new-nuclear-arms-race-theres-better-way/125174/?oref=d-topstory
 
http://freebeacon.com/national-security/iran-to-begin-construction-on-two-new-nuke-plants/
 
http://www.scout.com/military/warrior/story/1634863-navy-builds-new-nuclear-armed-submarines
 
Investing in Deterrence

—Jennifer Hlad

1/25/2016

​The US must invest in sustaining and modernizing its nuclear deterrence capabilities or risk losing them, said Adm. Cecil Haney, commander of US Strategic Command, in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 22. “We are fast approaching the point where we will put at risk our safe, secure and effective, and ready nuclear deterrent, potentially jeopardizing strategic stability. We must not let our deterrence capabilities be determined by failure to sustain and modernize our forces,” Haney said at an event at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Haney noted that B-52 bombers, intercontinental ballistic missiles, and Ohio-class nuclear submarines were first fielded in the 1950s and 1960s. “We are out of time. Sustainment is a must. Recapitalization is a requirement,” he added. The defense budget can have its own deterrent effect, showing that the US prioritizes national security, but the investment must be continual, he said. “Budget stability is integral to strategic stability,” Haney said.
 
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/nuclear-mishap-withheld-by-air-force-from-review-team/2016/01/25/28315e32-c33e-11e5-b933-31c93021392a_story.html
 
http://csis.org/event/strategic-deterrent-forces-foundation-national-security

CSIS discussion with video.
 
Opportunities in ICBM Recapitalization

—John A. Tirpak

1/29/2016

​Northrop Grumman thinks it’s well-positioned to get a good chunk of work on rebuilding the Air Force’s ICBM inventory in the years to come, company president and CEO Wes Bush said in a media telecon on Thursday discussing 2015 fourth quarter results. “As a nation, we have put it off too long,” said Bush, referring to ICBM recap. The company has “deep expertise” in the disciplines necessary to build new missiles, spacecraft, and guidance systems, he said. The work could help offset declining earnings on the F/A-18 Hornet program, which is winding down, he said. Bush also asserted that Northrop has a “smart” strategy for investing its own money in new technologies needed for the Pentagon’s “third offset” strategy, but doesn’t necessarily expect the Pentagon to step up reimbursements in this area. The reward comes “when you win,” he said. Northrop’s sales declined from almost $24 billion in 2014 to $23.5 billion in 2015, due mainly to slowdowns on the F/A-18 and other “legacy” programs. Bush said Northrop will be ahead of prime contractor Lockheed Martin in the F-35 program’s production effort, which will see a big ramp-up this year, but an uptick in revenues on the fighter will probably lag those of the prime contractor. Northrop and its partners are prepared for the increase in production, and have been getting ready for it for several years, he added. The company has major contracts for the F-35 center fuselage, radar, distributed aperture system (DAS), and communication, navigation,​ and identification systems.
 
http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Russian_Army_rolls_out_strategic_missile_systems_for_drills_999.html
 
Stratcom CinC Cecil Haney on the nuclear deterrent

http://csis.org/multimedia/video-strategic-deterrent-forces-foundation-national-security
 
http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0002730995

8:37 pm, February 05, 2016


The Japan News

North Korea may have started pumping fuel into its long-range ballistic missile at the launch station in Tongchang-ri in the northwest of the country, CNN reported Thursday, citing U.S. officials and analysis of satellite images.

The liquid fuel to be used for the test-launch is known to be prone to corrosion, making it difficult to extract once it is in the missile. This makes it more likely that North Korea will launch the missile early within the planned window from Feb. 8 to Feb. 25.

CNN cited an expert’s analysis that the missile being prepared for the test-firing at the launching pad could be larger in size, and may have a longer range, than those previously tested by the country. According to the expert, the metal structure supporting the missile at the launchpad is apparently taller by about 10 meters than the one used in the test-firing in 2012.

North Korea insists it is planning a launch to put a satellite in orbit, but the country is subject to U.N. Security Council resolutions prohibiting the launch of missiles. U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki Moon urged North Korea to refrain from a launch, saying it would violate the resolutions.
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http://news.usni.org/2016/02/03/ohio-class-subs-approaching-several-firsts-as-navy-prepares-them-to-reach-42-years-of-service
 
http://www.defensenews.com/story/defense/policy-budget/budget/2016/02/05/nuclear-option-nuclear-modernization-costs-bomber-icbm-submarine-lrso/79788670/
 
http://europe.newsweek.com/north-korea-missile-launch-super-bowl-423751

EDIT: http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0002733037
 
http://news.yahoo.com/north-korea-advances-plans-launch-rocket-media-095736536.html
 
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_NKOREA_SUPER_BOWL_FLYOVER?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2016-02-08-08-01-37
 
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/02/08/satellites-show-mystery-construction-at-iran-s-top-secret-military-site.html
 
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/feb/10/inside-the-ring-china-adds-warhead-to-older-df-5s/

Additionally, China recently showed off a new DF-26 intermediate-range missile that Beijing said can be armed with either nuclear or conventional warheads. The Chinese also conducted six successful tests of a hypersonic glide vehicle.

The four-star admiral said Chinese secrecy and the nuclear buildup are raising questions about the Chinese policy of not being the first to use nuclear weapons in conflict, while undermining stability.

“While China periodically reminds us of its ‘no first use’ nuclear policy, these developments — coupled with the Chinese intentional lack of transparency on nuclear issues, such as force, disposition and size — can impact regional and strategic stability,” Adm. Haney said.

Former Pentagon nuclear forces expert Keith Payne said the Chinese buildup highlights the failure of the Obama administration’s policy of seeking to reduce global nuclear arsenals by cutting U.S. weapons.

“If China continues to modernize its nuclear forces, including the MIRVing of its long-range ballistic missiles, it will have demonstrated the utter failure of the theory that the U.S. ‘moral example’ of continued nuclear reductions leads to nuclear reductions globally and, ultimately, to nuclear zero,” Mr. Payne told Inside the Ring.

The view that U.S. nuclear cuts promote global nuclear nonproliferation and disarmament appears to be a key tenet of U.S. strategic policy for years.

“China’s nuclear weapons programs, along with Russia’s, demonstrate as nothing else could the failure of that approach, and that we once again need to place priority on sustaining U.S. capabilities to deter attacks on ourselves and our allies,” Mr. Payne said. “The years of America’s nuclear indolence must now come to an end.”

Mark Stokes, a former Air Force officer and China weapons expert, said the DF-5 upgrade and the new MIRV missiles “certainly means a significant growth in the number of nuclear warheads that can reach us here in the greater Washington, D.C., area.”
 
http://russianforces.org/blog/2016/02/production_of_tu-160_bombers_t.shtml


The plan to resume production of Tu-160 bombers is alive and well. Reporting on a visit of the deputy defense minister to the Kuznetsov plant in Samara, the ministry of defense press service said that preparations are underway, although not everything is going smoothly. The plan is to begin production of new aircraft no later than 2023. The new bomber, while still Tu-160, is expected to be almost a new plane, which is not surprising given that the design is more than 30 years old. There was no word on the number of planes that will be produced this time.

http://function.mil.ru/news_page/country/more.htm?id=12077625@egNews
 
More Money for Nuke Modernization

—Arie Church

2/11/2016

​The National Nuclear Security Administration boosted its defense program budget request for Fiscal 2017 by 4.5 percent above Fiscal 2016 appropriations, mainly to support nuclear warhead modernization, officials announced. “The FY 2017 budget request is a strong endorsement of NNSA’s vital and enduring missions, and is indicative of the administration’s unwavering commitment to a strong national defense,” NNSA administrator retired Lt. Gen. Frank Klotz said in a Feb. 9 release. NNSA requested $9.2 billion for defense programs, including the Air Force's B61-12 nuclear freefall bomb upgrade and life extension. The fund supports delivery of the first production B61 Mod 12, which pairs the refurbished and upgraded warhead with a precision-guided tailkit, by 2020, according to the release. "Investments in modernization of our nuclear enterprise; implementation of our long-term stockpile stewardship strategy…are critical to carrying out our missions," added Klotz. The funding request also accelerates dismantlement of obsolescent warheads, upgrades outdated infrastructure and equipment, and continues life extension of several Navy warheads
________________________________________________________________________________
 
http://aviationweek.com/defense/bomber-money-down-missile-money-budget-request

At the same time, the Ground-Based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD) replacement for the Minuteman ICBM gets a more-than-doubled budget, starting in 2018. For 2018-20, the fiscal 2017 budget funds GBSD at $1.65 billion, versus $750 million in last year’s proposal, and another $1.58 billion in 2021. The 2018-20 money mostly covers the Technology Maturation and Risk Reduction (TMRR) phase, which is clearly being enlarged and is due to start this summer, while the fiscal 2021 funding covers the first full year 0f engineering and manufacturing development, planned to begin in the third quarter of fiscal 2020.

TMRR contracts for the Long-Range Standoff Weapon (LRSO), the replacement for the AGM-86 Air-Launched Cruise Missile, are expected to be let in the third quarter of fiscal 2017 (early next calendar year) a nine-month slippage compared to plans a year ago. However, funding levels have not changed significantly and the TMRR program is budgeted at $2.19 billion through the FYDP.
 
http://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/russians-want-to-launch-an-icbm-at-a-near-earth-asteroi-1758697417
 

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