This is How Nuclear War With North Korea Would Unfold
Jeffrey Lewis | Washington Post
No one wants to fight a nuclear war. Not in North Korea, not in South Korea and not in the United States. And yet leaders in all three countries know that such a war may yet come — if not by choice then by mistake. The world survived tense moments on the Korean Peninsula in 1969 , 1994 and 2010. Each time, the parties walked to the edge of danger, peered into the abyss, then stepped back. But what if one of them stumbled, slipped over the edge and, grasping for life, dragged the others down into the darkness? This is how that might happen, based on public statements, intelligence reports and blast-zone maps.
U.S. Demands NATO Action on Russian Missiles
Matthias Gebauer, Christoph Schult and Klaus Wiegrefe | Spiegel Online
When NATO's Nuclear Planning Group assembles, the highest level of classification is applied: "Cosmic Top Secret." Even defense ministers from the alliance are required to turn in their mobile phones before entering the small, windowless meeting room at NATO's headquarters in Brussels. Aside from the ministers, only a few advisers are allowed in. A frequent participant describes the atmosphere in the nuclear meetings as reverential. It's "almost like in a church," he says. There's no chumminess on display and no jokes are made. "The focus is on nuclear deterrence, the holy grail of the alliance, in a manner of speaking," says another military man. "Everybody keeps a straight face and sits up straight."
Trump Approves New Russia Sanctions for Violating Cold War Arms Pact
Gregory Hellman | Politico
The Trump administration is levying new sanctions on Russia it hopes will force it to comply with a Cold War-era nuclear arms treaty it has violated by deploying a banned cruise missile, according to a senior administration official. The Commerce Department will punish Russian companies that have provided technology to help develop the new weapon, which was outlawed by the Intermediate Nuclear Forces Treaty signed by the United States and then-Soviet Union in 1987.
Japan, U.S., South Korea to Hold Missile Tracking Drill Amid North Korea Crisis
Reuters
The United States, Japan and South Korea will hold two days of missile tracking drills this week, Japan’s Maritime Self-Defence Force said on Sunday, as tensions rise in the region over North Korea’s fast-developing weapons programmes. North Korea has fired two missiles over Japan as it pursues nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles in defiance of U.N. sanctions and international condemnation. On Nov. 29, it test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile which it said was its most advanced yet, capable of reaching the mainland United States.
MDA Awards Contracts for a Drone-Based Laser Design
Jen Judson | Defense News
The U.S. Missile Defense Agency has awarded three contracts to develop preliminary designs for a UAV-based, multi-kilowatt-class laser to demonstrate beam stabilization technology. Lockheed Martin and General Atomics were chosen to deliver designs in October and November, and Boeing was awarded a contract Dec. 11. Each contract is worth roughly $9 million.
Nobel Peace Laureate Group Urges Nuclear Powers to Adopt Ban-the-Bomb Treaty
Gwladys Fouche | Reuters
The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) was awarded this year’s Nobel Peace Prize by a Nobel committee that cited the spread of nuclear weapons and the growing risk of an atomic war. ICAN is a coalition of 468 grassroots non-governmental groups that campaigned for a U.N. Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, adopted by 122 nations in July. The treaty is not signed by - and would not apply to - any of the states that already have nuclear arms. Beatrice Fihn, ICAN’s Executive Director, urged them to sign the agreement.