The Nuclear Ban Treaty: What Would Follow?
George Perkovich
In May 2017, negotiators at the United Nations introduced a draft convention to prohibit the possession of nuclear weapons, as a way to hasten progress toward eventual nuclear disarmament, as called for in the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). All the nuclear-armed states except North Korea have boycotted the negotiations, along with many U.S. allies. Unfortunately, the good motives behind the treaty do not mean it will enhance international security, prevent nuclear proliferation, or facilitate actual nuclear disarmament. It may even have unintended consequences that make these goals harder to achieve. Yet there are steps that nuclear-armed states could take, perhaps nudged along by their allies, to help heal rifts that the proposed ban treaty has highlighted.
N. Korea Fires Suspected Surface-to-Ship Cruise Missiles
Kyodo News
North Korea test-fired Thursday what are believed to be surface-to-ship cruise missiles that traveled about 200 kilometers off its eastern coast, as part of efforts to demonstrate its improved ability to target an enemy warship, South Korea's military said.
South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said the projectiles, not thought to be ballistic missiles, were fired for several minutes from the vicinity of the eastern coastal city of Wonsan, from 6:18 a.m. Seoul time.
America Can’t Fix Its Problems With New Nukes
Jon Wolfsthal
The Department of Defense has begun drafting the Trump administration’s Nuclear Posture Review (NPR). Conducted by each American president since 1994, the NPR is an official document that guides American nuclear policy and management of the U.S. nuclear arsenal. Past presidents have used NPRs to determine and explain publicly how many and what kinds of nuclear weapons the United States needs, and when they might be used. It is the script officials throughout the government can use to deter adversaries and reassure allies. As President Donald Trump continues to sow doubt among U.S. allies about his administraion’s dedication to their defense, advocates for new, smaller, more usable nuclear weapons will offer their ideas as a way to counteract this growing confidence gap. Yet not all problems have a nuclear solution, and there is no combination of nuclear policy, weapons, and statements that can undo the damage Trump is doing to both our allies and the global nonproliferation system.
Plugging the Air Defense 'Gorbachev Gap': Russia's Voronezh Radar in Action
Sputnik News
A new Voronezh-DM radar station, part of Russia's early warning system, will enter combat duty in Krasnoyarsk region outside Yeniseysk by late 2017, according to Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. RIA Novosti defense contributor Andrei Kotz explains how the system will plug the air defense gap left by former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev. At the moment, the Krasnoyarsk Voronezh-DM complex is already operating in test mode. However, observers say its future potential is even more significant.
Diet Endorses Pact to Export Civil Nuclear Technology to India
Reiji Yoshida | Japan Times
The Diet on Wednesday endorsed the controversial Japan-India civil nuclear cooperation agreement that will allow the nation’s firms to export nuclear materials and technology to India for nonmilitary use. The pact has been a source of contention at home and abroad because India is neither a signatory of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) nor of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty.
Ibaraki Plutonium Exposures Baffle Japanese Nuclear Experts
Japan Times
Experts probing the cause of the plutonium-inhalation accident involving five employees at a fuel research facility in Ibaraki Prefecture are trying to determine whether failures in safety equipment or procedures allowed the deadly powder to escape its container. The accident might have been caused by the long-term buildup of helium emitted by the plutonium, one expert says.