The New Military Force in Charge of China’s Nuclear Weapons
Shannon Tiezzi | Diplomat
On December 31, China inaugurated three new military forces: a general command for the army, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Strategic Support Force, and the PLA Rocket Force. The latter, which replaces the Second Artillery Force, will be in charge of China’s nuclear arsenal. General Wei Fenghe was named the new force’s first commander. Wei has a long history with the Second Artillery Force; he served as its chief of staff from 2006-2012 and then as commander-in-chief from 2012 until the service was reconfigured as the Rocket Force.
Russia’s National Security Strategy for 2016 in 9 Key Points
RT
President Vladimir Putin has signed the country’s national security strategy for 2016 with color revolutions and biological weapons named as primary threats to Russia. Here are nine key points you want to know about the document. 1. “Color Revolutions” and corruption among key threats to Russia’s security. Listed among threats to national security are “color revolutions” and their instigation, the undermining of traditional values, and corruption.
Chinese Defense Ministry Confirms Rail-Mobile ICBM Test
Bill Gertz | Washington Free Beacon
China’s Defense Ministry confirmed on Thursday that its military recently conducted a test of a new rail-mobile ICBM capable of hitting any part of the United States with nuclear warheads. Defense Ministry spokesman Col. Yang Yujun also did not dispute U.S. reports that its nuclear missile submarines began conducting sea patrols for the first time, giving China a potent new submarine-based strategic nuclear strike capability.
Japan to Send Plutonium Cache to US Under Nuclear Deal
Manila Times
Japan will send a huge cache of plutonium — enough to produce 50 nuclear bombs — to the United States as part of a deal to return the material that was used for research, reports and officials said Tuesday. The plutonium stockpile, provided by the US, Britain and France decades ago, has caused some disquiet given that Japan has said it has the ability to produce a nuclear weapon even if it chooses not to.
N. Korea May be Readying for Thermonuclear Weapon Tests: S. Korean Military
Yonhap News
North Korea may be preparing to test its thermonuclear weapons capabilities at its Punggye-ri nuclear test site, a South Korean military unit responsible for nuclear defense said Sunday. In its report, the South's Chemical, Biological and Radiological (CBR) Defense Command said the North has already laid the groundwork to develop thermonuclear weapons and may already be producing tritium, a radioactive isotope necessary to build more sophisticated nuclear weapons.
White House: More Time Needed for New Iran Missile Sanctions
Jeff Mason | Reuters
The White House expects Iran to finish work needed to trigger implementation of an international nuclear deal in the coming weeks, but Washington needs more time to prepare sanctions over its ballistic missile program, a U.S. official said on Saturday. The administration had additional diplomatic and technical work to complete before announcing any new sanctions related to the missile program, but the delay was not a result of pressure from Tehran, said deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes.