North Korea’s Longest Missile Test Yet

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North Korea’s Longest Missile Test Yet

IN THIS ISSUE: North Korea’s Longest Missile Test Yet, No to New, Smaller Nuclear Weapons, China’s Latest Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Expected to be Deployed Next Year, Iran Warns It Would Increase Missile Range if Threatened by Europe, Korea Stepping Up Efforts to Build Nuclear Reactors in Britain, Cyber and Space Weapons Are Making Nuclear Deterrence Trickier

Published on November 28, 2017

North Korea’s Longest Missile Test Yet

David Wright | All Things Nuclear

After more than two months without a missile launch, North Korea did a middle-of-the-night test (3:17 am local time) today that appears to be its longest yet.
Reports are saying that the missile test was highly lofted and landed in the Sea of Japan some 960 km (600 miles) from the launch site. They are also saying the missile reached a maximum altitude of 4,500 km. This would mean that it flew for about 54 minutes, which is consistent with reports from Japan.

Say No to New, Smaller Nuclear Weapons

Jon Wolfsthal

During the tense days of the Cold War, the United States deployed many kinds of small-yield nuclear weapons in the field. The “logic” of the ladder of escalation led Washington to field nuclear landmines, anti-ship demolition mines to be attached to the hulls of ships by atomic frog men, and even close-range rocket-propelled nuclear weapons. We managed to avoid all-out nuclear war at each rung on the ladder through a combination of luck and careful efforts to avoid miscalculation.

China’s Latest Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Expected to be Deployed Next Year

Sun Wenyu | People's Daily Online

China’s intercontinental ballistic missile DF-41 is expected to be deployed in early 2018, said military expert Yang Chengjun on a TV program broadcasted on China Central Television (CCTV) on Nov. 26. According to military experts, no failure has occurred during the test launches of DF-41, and the success rates of the US and Russia are around 90% and 85%, respectively.

Iran Warns It Would Increase Missile Range if Threatened by Europe

Bozorgmehr Sharafedin | Reuters

The deputy head of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards warned Europe that if it threatens Tehran, the Guards will increase the range of missiles to above 2,000 kilometers, the Fars news agency reported on Saturday. France has called for an “uncompromising” dialogue with Iran about its ballistic missile program and a possible negotiation over the issue separate from Tehran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.

Korea Stepping Up Efforts to Build Nuclear Reactors in Britain

Kim Eun-jung | Yonhap News

South Korea is stepping up its bid to take over stakes in a troubled nuclear project in Britain as the two countries agreed to step up cooperation in the sector, Seoul's energy ministry said Tuesday. Energy ministers of the two nations signed a memorandum of understanding in their meeting in London to expand cooperation in the civilian nuclear energy projects.

Cyber and Space Weapons Are Making Nuclear Deterrence Trickier

James Miller and Richard Fontaine | Defense One

Stability was an overriding concern at last week’s Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on nuclear command authority, the first in four decades. Senators wondered aloud whether one individual — the American president — should have the sole authority to direct a nuclear attack. The focus is understandable, but there are other challenges to nuclear stability that deserve more attention than they’re getting.

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North Korea’s Longest Missile Test Yet