More Than Just Nuclear: Risk Reduction in the China-US Relationship
Fiona S. Cunningham | The Diplomat
“Nuclear plus” discussions would be challenging even at the unofficial level. China does not officially acknowledge its offensive cyber capabilities, while neither country openly admits to their own counterspace capabilities. Any discussion would also have to include experts from outside each countries’ nuclear communities, who might well have different views of the merits of bilateral dialogue. Drafting a productive agenda and participant list would likely involve a process of trial and error. But both countries should untangle the nuclear risks posed by their nuclear plus approach to strategic deterrence before they encounter a crisis, conflict, or intense arms race.
US Air Force’s Sentinel Missile ‘Struggling,’ Faces Rising Costs
Stephen Losey | Defense News
One of the U.S. Air Force’s nuclear missile programs is “struggling” and could see costs rise, the service’s secretary said Monday. Frank Kendall, speaking at an online event hosted by the Center for a New American Security think tank, said he is “more nervous” about the LGM-35A Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile than the B-21 Raider stealth bomber.
First US-African Nuclear Summit Concludes in Ghana
Nuclear Engineering
The US Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Office of Nuclear Energy has concluded the first-ever US Africa Nuclear Energy Summit (USANES) in Accra, Ghana. The summit was organised in partnership with Ghana’s Ministry of Energy and the Nuclear Power Institute of the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission. DOE said it “provided a platform for crucial dialogues and international cooperation on nuclear energy” where “participants from across the continent discussed the future of nuclear power and laid a foundation for sustainable nuclear energy growth in the region”.
The Air Force’s New Nuclear Stealth Bomber, the B-21 Raider, has Taken its First Test Flight
TARA COPP | Associated Press
The B-21 Raider took its first test flight on Friday, moving the futuristic warplane closer to becoming the nation’s next nuclear weapons stealth bomber. The Raider flew in Palmdale, California, where it has been under testing and development by Northrop Grumman. The Air Force is planning to build 100 of the warplanes, which have a flying wing shape much like their predecessor the B-2 Spirit but will incorporate advanced materials, propulsion and stealth technology to make them more survivable in a future conflict. The plane is planned to be produced in variants with and without pilots
China’s Misunderstood Nuclear Expansion
M. Taylor Fravel, Henrik Stålhane Hiim, and Magnus Langset Trøan | Foreign Affairs
In fact, China’s own nuclear strategists and experts provide a different view of Chinese thinking. Their writings and analysis since 2015 suggest that China’s nuclear expansion is less a shift in Chinese intentions than a response to what Beijing perceives as threatening changes in U.S. nuclear strategy, reflecting an acute security dilemma. Chinese analysts are worried that the United States has lowered its threshold for nuclear use—including allowing for limited first use in a Taiwan conflict—and that the U.S. military is acquiring new capabilities that could be used to destroy or significantly degrade China’s nuclear forces. Thus, many Chinese experts have concluded that China needs a more robust arsenal.
U.S., South Korea Revise North Deterrence Plan for 1st Time in Decade
RYO NAKAMURA and STEVEN BOROWIEC | NIkkei Asia
The U.S. and South Korea have updated their strategy on deterring North Korea for the first time in a decade, at a time when growing military ties between the North and Russia are posing new security challenges to the alliance. During an annual security consultative meeting in Seoul, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and South Korean Defense Minister Shin Won-sik approved a 20-page strategic document tailored to address North Korea's growing threat.