North Korea Says Hypersonic Missile Made 1st Test Flight
Kim Tong-Hyung | Associated Press
North Korea said Wednesday that it successfully tested a new hypersonic missile it implied was being developed as nuclear capable, as it continues to expand its military capabilities and pressure Washington and Seoul over long-stalled negotiations over its nuclear weapons. The missile test early Tuesday was North Korea’s third round of launches this month and took place shortly before North Korea’s U.N. envoy accused the United States of hostility and demanded the Biden administration permanently end joint military exercises with South Korea and the deployment of strategic assets in the region.
Iran’s Advances Spur Debate in Israel on “Nuclear Ambiguity” Policy
Barak Ravid | Axios
Prime Minister Naftali Bennett doesn’t think Israel needs to change its “nuclear ambiguity” policy for now as a response to Iran’s latest nuclear advances, two senior Israeli officials tell me. Why it matters: Israel has never acknowledged that it has a military nuclear program, and claims it “won’t be the first country to introduce nuclear weapons to the Middle East.” But a new report is sparking an unprecedented public debate among politicians and experts about whether Israel’s nuclear posture needs to change to deter Iran.
AUKUS Submarine Deal ‘Very Tricky’ for Nuclear Inspectors -IAEA Chief
Francois Murphy | Reuters
The head of the United Nations atomic agency has said the AUKUS deal in which Australia will obtain nuclear submarine technology from the United States is a “very tricky” issue in terms of inspections but in can be managed. The submarine deal is part of a three-way defence agreement announced by Washington, London, and Canberra last month which infuriated France because Australia said it would cancel an existing order for French diesel-powered submarines.
U.S. Has Reached Out to China About Cutting Oil Imports From Iran, Officials Say
Arshad Mohammed and John Irish | Reuters
The United States has reached out to China diplomatically about reducing its purchases of Iranian crude oil, U.S. and European officials said on Tuesday, as Washington seeks to persuade Tehran to resume talks about reviving the 2015 nuclear deal. Purchases of Iranian oil by Chinese companies are believed to have helped keep Iran’s economy afloat despite U.S. sanctions that are designed to choke off such sales to put pressure on Iran to curb its nuclear program.
‘Global Strike From Space;’ Did Kendall Reveal Chinese Threat?
Colin Clark and Theresa Hitchens | Breaking Defense
When Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall used his Sept. 20 keynote speech at the annual Air Force Association conference to claim that China is developing the ability to launch “global strikes from space” against US targets, it raised more than a few eyebrows and sent military analysts scrambling. After all, the decision to bring up the potential for a space-based strike against terrestrial targets couldn’t have been casual. In a speech focused on Chinese threats, this line stood out: new PRC capabilities, Kendall said, include “precision weapons with steadily increasingly range … including the potential for global strikes, strikes from space.”
Congress Shouldn’t Rubber-Stamp Hypersonic Weapons
Shannon Bugos | Breaking Defense
Hypersonic weapons have been all the rage in recent years. Pentagon officials rarely miss an opportunity to tout the importance of accelerating their development amid the department’s prioritization of enhancing conventional deterrence against Russia and China. Plus, there is strong bipartisan support in Congress for the aggressive pursuit of the weapons. But a closer look suggests all may not be well in hypersonic paradise. “I’m not satisfied with the pace,” said Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall at the Air Force Association Air, Space & Cyber conference about the service’s hypersonic weapon development plans.