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Briefing on Nuclear Ban Treaty by NSC Senior Director Christopher Ford

IN THIS ISSUE: Briefing on Nuclear Ban Treaty by NSC Senior Director Christopher Ford, This Missile Could Reach California. But Can North Korea Use It With a Nuclear Weapon?, Boeing, Northrop Move Forward on Next-Gen ICBM Program; Lockheed Out, Construction of UAE’s First Nuclear Reactor Complete But Operation Delayed to 2018, India Denies Selling BrahMos Missiles to Vietnam, Color-coded Map Identifies Potential Nuclear Waste Sites in Japan But Local Governments May Only See Red

Published on August 22, 2017

Briefing on Nuclear Ban Treaty by NSC Senior Director Christopher Ford

Christopher Ford

The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons will open for signature at the United Nations in New York on September 20. Christopher Ford, special assistant to the president and NSC senior director for WMD and counterproliferation, delivered remarks regarding the U.S. position on the treaty followed by a moderated discussion with George Perkovich.

This Missile Could Reach California. But Can North Korea Use It With a Nuclear Weapon?

William J. Broad, Mika Gröndahl, Josh Keller, Alicia Parlapiano, Anjali Singhvi and Karen Yourish | New York Times

North Korea is speeding toward a goal it has sought for decades: the ability to hit a major American city with a nuclear weapon. Actually striking the United States would be suicide. But the capability could help the North deter an invasion and wield increased global influence. American intelligence agencies estimate that the North could reach the milestone by next year, and some experts think it already has.

Boeing, Northrop Move Forward on Next-Gen ICBM Program; Lockheed Out

Valerine Insinna | Defense News

Boeing and Northrop Grumman are the two companies that will move on to the next phase of the Air Force’s intercontinental ballistic missile replacement program, the service announced Aug. 21 after awarding two contracts, each with a $359 million price ceiling. That means Lockheed Martin, the third defense prime that vied for the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent contract, is now out of the running.

Construction of UAE’s First Nuclear Reactor Complete But Operation Delayed to 2018

Caline Malek | National

 Construction of the first nuclear reactor of the UAE’s atomic plant has been completed, although its operation will begin next year,said the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (Enec).Enec and the Korea Electric Power Corporation (Kepco) have completed the initial construction activities for Unit 1 of the Barakah plant. The operating systems have been handed to Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power, a subsidiary of Kepco, for testing and commissioning to assure 

India Denies Selling BrahMos Missiles to Vietnam

New Indian Express

India on Friday denied selling BrahMos cruise missiles to Vietnam, after a report said the missiles have been delivered to the Southeast Asian nation which has tense relations with China. The development comes as tension between India and China continues along the border, with a standoff in Sikkim sector since June, and a fresh scuffle taking place in Ladakh sector.

Color-coded Map Identifies Potential Nuclear Waste Sites in Japan But Local Governments May Only See Red

Eric Johnston | Japan Times

On July 28, the central government released what it called a scientific, specialized map of the country highlighting areas where highly radioactive nuclear waste from the nation’s power plants might, or might not, be safely buried underground for as long as 100,000 years. The multicolored map (link to a PDF version) is further divided into regional blocks identifying locations in each prefecture where conditions are judged to be most favorable — both in geological terms (i.e., lack of active fault lines or low risk of volcanoes) and ease of transport — for burying high-level waste. It also indicated where such burial would pose scientific and logistical challenges.

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