Proliferation News 8/6/26
IN THIS ISSUE: Pentagon drafting a new U.S. nuclear strategy in case of regional war with China or Russia, sources say, Why did a Chinese bomber carry a nuclear-capable missile in an anti-ship exercise?, Takaichi emphasizes Japan’s commitment to nonnuclear principles on Hiroshima anniversary, Nearly 80% of interceptors for a key missile defense system depleted, sources say, Why some Republicans want to bring nuclear waste home, Hiroshima
Gordon Lubold and Dan De Luce | NBC News
The Defense Department’s policy chief is drafting a new U.S. nuclear strategy that emphasizes the possible use of shorter-range tactical weapons in case of a regional war with China or Russia, according to five people familiar with the plans. The new strategy, which is classified, challenges the approach to nuclear weapons that has been settled policy for decades… Colby has long pushed for an emphasis on tactical weapons, arguing that America’s adversaries would simply not believe the U.S. would seriously contemplate launching long-range weapons aimed at wiping out an enemy’s nuclear forces — as is the emphasis of the current, longtime U.S. nuclear strategy.
Why did a Chinese bomber carry a nuclear-capable missile in an anti-ship exercise?
Liu Zhen and Amber Wang | South China Morning Post
The People’s Liberation Army has unveiled the first official footage showing a nuclear-capable air-launched ballistic missile, the Jing Lei-1, mounted on an H-6N bomber in combat-ready status during a joint anti-ship exercise. The strategic bomber was seen in flight, carrying a massive missile under its belly, in the final episode of the documentary Securing Victory, which has been airing on state broadcaster CCTV as part of the celebrations of the PLA’s 99th anniversary on August 1… Apart from some earlier sighting photos circulated online, Tuesday’s episode of the documentary was the first official confirmation of the missile being loaded onto a bomber.
Takaichi emphasizes Japan’s commitment to nonnuclear principles on Hiroshima anniversary
Kenji Yoshida | The Japan Times
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi emphasized Japan’s commitment to its long-held nonnuclear principles in a speech Thursday in Hiroshima, paying tribute to those killed and injured 81 years after the city was devastated by a U.S. atomic bomb… “The devastation caused by the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the indescribable suffering endured by so many people, must never be repeated,” Takaichi said in a speech. “I pledge to devote every effort to achieving a world without nuclear weapons and lasting peace,” she added, reiterating that Japan is firmly upholding its long-held “three nonnuclear principles.”
Nearly 80% of interceptors for a key missile defense system depleted, sources say
Zachary Cohen, Jim Sciutto, and Haley Britzky | CNN
The US military has exhausted nearly 80% of its interceptors for a key missile defense system as senior US military commanders are warning that the Pentagon’s munitions stockpile is “dangerously low,” according to multiple sources familiar with the matter… The Defense Department has accelerated its efforts to expand interceptor missile production in recent months, including two deals inked this week to boost Patriot and THAAD rocket motor manufacturing, but a spokesperson declined to answer questions about when the expansion will lead to results.
Why some Republicans want to bring nuclear waste home
Nico Portuondo | PoliticoPro
For decades, politicians have treated nuclear waste as politically radioactive. Now, Republicans are competing to bring it home. The Department of Energy announced last week that it had signed memorandums of agreement with Utah, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Idaho to explore creating facilities to support the full nuclear fuel cycle — from enrichment of uranium and fabricating fuel to disposing of waste. Rather than resisting an initiative that could bring more nuclear waste to their states, some Republicans are actively courting the Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campuses, arguing they could anchor advanced nuclear industries and bring billions of dollars in investment.
John Hersey | The New Yorker
A hundred thousand people were killed by the atomic bomb, and these six were among the survivors. They still wonder why they lived when so many others died. Each of them counts many small items of chance or volition—a step taken in time, a decision to go indoors, catching one streetcar instead of the next—that spared him. And now each knows that in the act of survival he lived a dozen lives and saw more death than he ever thought he would see. At the time, none of them knew anything.
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