Essay by James M. Acton, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
James Acton | International Security Studies Forum
Under current policy, the United States reserves the right to employ nuclear weapons “to defend the vital interests of the United States or its allies and partners.” Under a policy of no-first-use, the United States would make a blanket commitment not to use nuclear weapons first. Neither of these declaratory policies is appropriate.
Kim Jong-un Says North Korea Is Preparing to Test Long-Range Missile
Choe Sang-Hun | New York Times
North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong-un, said on Sunday that his country was making final preparations to conduct its first test of an intercontinental ballistic missile — a bold statement less than a month before the inauguration of President-elect Donald J. Trump.
Will America's Nuclear Weapons Always Be Safe From Hackers?
Patrick Tucker | The Atlantic
Future nuclear missiles may be siloed but, unlike their predecessors, they’ll exhibit “some level of connectivity to the rest of the warfighting system,” according to Werner J.A. Dahm, the chair of the Air Force Scientific Advisory Board. That opens up new potential for nuclear mishaps that, until now, have never been a part of Pentagon planning. In 2017, the board will undertake a study to see how to meet those concerns.
Is India Dropping Its Cruise Missile Program?
Franz-Stefan Gady | The Diplomat
India’s nuclear-capable Nirbhay long-range cruise missile program will likely be shut down following yet another failed test launch, a source within the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) told local media.
N. Korea SLBM with 1-ton Nuclear Warhead Covers Entire S. Korea
Jun Ji-hye | The Korea Times
North Korea's submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) is capable of reaching any target in South Korea if it is mounted with a 1-ton nuclear warhead, according to foreign missile experts. The claim was made in a report published in the December edition of Korea Observer, a scholarly journal published quarterly by the Institute of Korean Studies.
NSG Deadlock
Zamir Akram | The Express Tribune
Despite trying to load the dice in India’s favour, the Obama administration has failed to deliver on its promise to ensure NSG membership for India during its tenure which ends in mid-January 2017. Due to the principled position taken by China and supported by more than 10 countries, consensus has eluded the NSG so far with the result that the informal meeting scheduled for later this month has been postponed till early next year.