A Call to Arms: Kim Jong Un and the Tactical Bomb
Ankit Panda | The Washington Quarterly
Does Kim Jong Un intend to deploy tactical nuclear weapons? If so, how might these weapons manifest in the country’s existing nuclear forces and what challenges may arise for the United States and South Korea? This article examines North Korean claims to date concerning TNWs, explores the practical implications of these capabilities for Pyongyang’s strategy, and argues that these weapons are likely to be a component of the country’s growing nuclear force. The introduction of TNWs into North Korea’s nuclear forces will have serious implications for escalation management on the Korean Peninsula and amplify the risk of nuclear use in a future conflict.
Pentagon’s Top Nuclear Policy Official Ousted in Reorganization
Lara Seligman, Alexander Ward, and Paul McLeary | Politico
The Pentagon’s top official overseeing nuclear and missile defense policy, including a review of America’s atomic weapons posture set to be completed early next year, is leaving her post at the end of the month after only eight months on the job, according to two people familiar with the move. Leonor Tomero, who has served as the deputy assistant secretary of defense for nuclear and missile defense policy since Jan. 20, is leaving as the Defense Department eliminates her job in a reorganization effort, according to the people and a private email viewed by Politico.
Watchdog Expects Delays to Space Force’s Next Missile Warning Satellites
Nathan Strout | Defense News
The U.S. Space Force’s next-generation missile warning constellation will likely be delayed, pushing the launch of the first satellite beyond its anticipated 2025 launch date, according to a Sept. 22 Government Accountability Office report. The Next Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared constellation is being built to augment and eventually replace the Space Based Infrared System as the Department of Defense’s main missile warning satellite program. Like SBIRS, the Next Gen OPIR, which was initiated in 2018, will use a combination of infrared sensors in geostationary orbit and highly elliptical polar orbits to detect missiles all over the globe. The Space Force plans to spend $14.4 billion on the program through 2025, according to the report.
B-83 86’ed? Not if GOP Can Help It.
Alexander Ward and Quint Forgey | Politico
A funding battle over America’s largest nuclear weapon is quickly turning into a proxy fight over China and Russia — potentially leading to an explosive debate during the National Defense Authorization Act conference process. The B-83 is a 1.2 megaton gravity bomb, meaning it lacks the precision and guidance of other weapons as it falls to Earth (with destructive power 80 times that of the bomb dropped on Hiroshima). President Joe Biden’s budget called for $52 million in life-extension funding for the weapon, which the Senate approved. But House Armed Services Chair Adam Smith (D-Wash.) ripped it out of his chamber’s annual defense policy bill, and Republican attempts to reinstate the funding by Reps. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) and Michael Turner (R-Ohio) failed on a party-line vote. While Smith believes the United States needs a strong nuclear deterrent, he’s skeptical that all systems require upkeep — especially the B-83.
GBSD: First Missile Test Flight 2023, Initial Production 2026
Theresa Hitchens | Breaking Defense
The Ground Based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD) program to replace the Air Force’s aging Minuteman III missiles is entering a new stage of development, as it begins to pass through a series of critical design reviews (CDRs) and aims for a 2023 test flight. “We’ve entered into the next big phase, what we call ‘CDR season,’” Greg Manuel, vice president and general manager of prime contractor Northrop Grumman’s Strategic Deterrent Systems division, told Breaking Defense Tuesday.