Can the World Avoid a Cyber-Nuclear Catastrophe?
Ariel E. Levite | National Interest
Anxieties about the dangers inherent in nuclear weapons were the defining feature of the Cold War era... With the end of the Cold War, the role of nuclear weapons in safeguarding security began to subside, alongside a dramatic scaling back of most nuclear arsenals as well as their level of readiness. Yet this process failed to produce the hoped-for peace dividend, let alone the much-hyped quest for universal nuclear disarmament, or global zero. Moreover, rivalries and conflicts merely shifted into other domains, most prominently conventional, cyber, and space. Cyber, in particular, has gradually ascended to a role somewhat reminiscent of nuclear weapons during the Cold War, becoming a significant currency of international relations, an instrument of statecraft, and a source of friction.
Brazil Initiates Talks With IAEA on Fuel for Planned Nuclear Submarine
Francois Murphy | Reuters
Brazil has initiated discussions with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) aimed at clearing the way for it to use nuclear fuel in a submarine for the first time, the U.N. watchdog’s chief, Rafael Grossi, said on Monday. Brazil is developing a nuclear-powered submarine under a contract with French defence company Naval Group. Brazil is designing its reactor. So far no party to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, such as Brazil, has a nuclear submarine, other than the five permanent (P5) members of the U.N. Security Council, also known as nuclear-weapon states: the United States, Russia, China, France and Britain.
US, South Korea Fire Missiles in Response to Kim Jong Un Barrage
Jon Herskovitz and Heesu Lee | Bloomberg
The US and South Korea fired eight missiles Monday after North Korea launched a similar number the day before, setting an annual record under Kim Jong Un as he ramps up provocations to some of the highest levels of his leadership. The two allies test-fired ground-to-ground Army Tactical Missile System rockets into waters off the east coast of South Korea, the country’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement. The US Army fired one missile and South Korea’s military fired seven, US Forces Korea said. The missiles have a maximum range of 300 kilometers (185 miles), according to maker Lockheed Martin.
Lawmakers Threaten DoD’s No. 2 Over ‘Stalled’ Cruise Missile Decision
Bryan Bender and Connor O’Brien | POLITICO
A House subcommittee plans to impose restrictions on the travel budget for Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks in a hardball move to force her to decide which Pentagon entity is responsible for developing defenses against cruise missiles. The rare legislative step by the House Armed Services’ Strategic Forces Subcommittee comes after Pentagon officials told lawmakers that Hicks’ inaction was holding back some efforts to employ improved defenses, the panel’s chair, Rep. Jim Cooper, told POLITICO in a statement on Monday.
Australia Assures Visiting US Officials on Nuclear Safety as Aukus Talks Continue
Daniel Hurst | The Guardian
Australia’s nuclear-powered submarine taskforce has assured visiting US officials about its commitment to the highest safety standards, as the new Albanese government faces the task of putting the Aukus deal into practice. The ongoing talks come as the new government must finalise the settlement over the cancellation of the original conventional submarine contract – a decision that sparked a damaging rift in the relationship with France. The Department of Defence said the negotiations with France’s Naval Group were “ongoing” and it was seeking to “progress them fairly and equitably”.
Ukraine Bars Nuclear Regulator From Visiting Russian-Occupied Power Plant
Louise Guillot | POLITICO
Energoatom, Ukraine’s nuclear power plant operator, on Monday denounced a request by the global nuclear watchdog to visit the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant. The Ukrainian operator accused Rafael Mariano Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, of “lying” and warned that the visit was a way of legitimizing Russia’s occupation of Europe’s largest nuclear plant — which is operated by Ukrainian staff but has been under the control of Russian troops since March. “The Ukrainian side did not invite Grossi to visit ZNPP [Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant] and had previously denied him such a visit, emphasizing that a visit to the power plant will be possible only when our country regains control over it,” Energoatom said in a Telegram post.