Biden Administration Reveals Number of Nuclear Weapons in US Stockpile
Chandelis Duster and Nicole Gaouette | CNN
In a reversal from the Trump administration, the State Department revealed the number of nuclear weapons in the US stockpile for the first time in four years on Tuesday. The US has 3,750 nuclear warheads in its stockpile and 2,000 are waiting to be dismantled, according to a release from the State Department, which emphasized the importance of transparency. The release of the “Transparency in the U.S. Nuclear Weapons Stockpile” fact sheet comes as the Biden administration is conducting a review of its nuclear weapons policy and capabilities ahead of a 2022 meeting of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty conference, where the US and other nuclear powers who are party to the Treaty will review each signatory’s disarmament commitments.
North Korea Trying to Hide Uranium Plant Expansion, Group Says
Jon Herskovitz | Bloomberg
North Korea appears to have taken steps to conceal upgrades to an uranium-enrichment plant from spy satellites, as it reopens communications with South Korea’s pro-engagement president, Moon Jae-in. Satellite imagery shows that previously reported construction in an area at the Yongbyon uranium enrichment plant has been covered to hide details of the building’s layout, the U.S.-based 38 North website said in a post on its website. It added that although there may be several reasons for the expansion, one option could be to increase production of fissile material.
Former Officials Call for AUKUS Submarines to Use Low Enriched Uranium
Justin Katz | Breaking Defense
In a new letter, a group of former US officials and non-proliferation experts are urging President Joe Biden to commit the United States to designing future submarines using low enriched uranium, a material capable of powering naval propulsion without the risks of being used to create a nuclear weapon. It’s the latest salvo in a newly-energized debate about what kind of uranium should be used to power military subs, one that has gained new life since Biden announced Australia would receive nuclear powered submarines under a new defense pact in September, dubbed AUKUS. The heart of that debate questions whether the world’s superpowers should transition from using highly enriched uranium to LEU to reduce the odds a hostile actor might acquire a nuclear weapon.
Blinken, Lavrov Discuss Iran Nuclear Deal as Tehran Signals Talks ‘Days’ Away
Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty
The top U.S. and Russian diplomats have discussed their shared interest in the restoration of the nuclear deal between Iran and world powers. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced his conversation with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov during a visit to France on October 6. “The United States and Russia, I think, [are] sharing an interest in seeing a mutual return to compliance with the JCPOA,” Blinken said in reference to the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action that Washington pulled out of in 2018 before reimposing sanctions on Iran.
U.S. Suspends Authority to Ship Nuclear Materials to China’s CGN
Timothy Gardner | Reuters
The U.S. nuclear power regulator last month suspended the shipment of radioactive materials and a hydrogen isotope used in reactors to China’s largest state-owned nuclear company, CGN, reflecting Washington’s concerns about the country’s buildup of atomic weapons. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission said in the order, dated Sept. 27, that the White House had determined that the suspension was “necessary to further the national security interests of the United States and to enhance the United States common defense and security consistent with the Atomic Energy Act of 1954.”
North Korea: New Terminology Portends Ongoing Policy Shift
Robert Carlin | 38 North
Over the past few weeks, Pyongyang has reintroduced the concept of “balance” and eased off references to “deterrence” in its discussions of military power. Although still early to draw conclusions, we may be seeing in that terminology shift the leading edge of what could be a significant policy development. An early, and probably only partial, manifestation of this new policy seems reflected in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK)’s recent, positive stance (and actions) on inter-Korean dialogue