Pentagon Chief: Russia ‘Modernizing and eExpanding its Nuclear Arsenal’
Jared Gans | The Hill
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Russia is “modernizing and expanding its nuclear arsenal” as its invasion of Ukraine continues and Russian President Vladimir Putin has made threats about using nuclear weapons in the conflict…“And as the Kremlin continues its cruel and unprovoked war of choice against Ukraine, the whole world has seen Putin engage in deeply irresponsible nuclear saber-rattling,” he said. “So make no mistake. Nuclear powers have a profound responsibility to avoid provocative behavior, and to lower the risk of proliferation, and to prevent escalation and nuclear war,” he continued.
Russia Says no Heavy Weapons at Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Plant
Reuters
Russia said on Tuesday it had not placed any heavy weapons at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine. Kyiv has repeatedly accused Russian forces of using the nuclear facility, which Russia seized in the first days of the conflict, as a de facto weapons depot…Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in a call on Tuesday with reporters that Russia remains in contact with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which is trying to broker a demilitarized zone around the power station.
Saudi Minister Says ‘All Bets Off’ if Iran Gets Nuclear Weapon
Al Jazeera
Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister has said that Iran’s Gulf Arab neighbours would take measures to shore up their security if Tehran were to obtain nuclear weapons. “If Iran gets an operational nuclear weapon, all bets are off,” Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud said on Sunday in an on-stage interview at the World Policy Conference in Abu Dhabi when asked about such a scenario.“We are in a very dangerous space in the region … you can expect that regional states will certainly look towards how they can ensure their own security.”
Japan to Buy Tomahawk Missiles in Defense Buildup Amid Fears of War
Michelle Ye Hee Lee and Ellen Nakashima | The Washington Post
Alarmed by increasing security threats and the risk of war in the Indo-Pacific, Japan will seek to purchase hundreds of U.S.-built Tomahawk cruise missiles as part of a major defense buildup unprecedented in the postwar period, Japanese and U.S. officials said. The missile buy would boost Japan’s long-range strike capability and mark a stunning break with a long tradition of eschewing offensive weapons. And it would enhance Japan’s conventional deterrent as China undertakes a sweeping military modernization and North Korea barrels ahead with its nuclear program.
Air Force Conducts First Launch of Prototype Hypersonic Missile
Stephen Losey | Defense News
The U.S. Air Force said it conducted the first test launch of a fully operational prototype of its hypersonic Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon. The test of the Lockheed Martin-made AGM-183A ARRW, which took place Dec. 9 off the coast of Southern California, was deemed successful, the Air Force’s 96th Test Wing said in a statement Monday. It was carried out by the 412th Test Wing at Edwards Air Force Base in California.
North Korea’s Tactical Nuclear Threshold Is Frighteningly Low
Adam Mount and Jungsup Kim | Foreign Policy
2022’s most alarming development is not about what North Korea could use to deliver a nuclear warhead, but when and why it plans to do it. In recent months, North Korean leaders have articulated a dangerous new doctrine for its expanding tactical nuclear arsenal. Unlike its strategic intercontinental missiles, which are probably a last resort to prevent regime change, the Kim family said its tactical weapons could be used at the outset of conflict to fight and win a limited war on the Korean Peninsula.