US Planning to Station Nuclear Weapons in UK Amid Threat from Russia – Report
The Guardian
The US is planning to station nuclear weapons in the UK for the first time in 15 years amid a growing threat from Russia, according to a report. Warheads three times as strong as the Hiroshima bomb would be located at RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk under the proposals, the Telegraph reported. The US previously placed nuclear missiles at RAF Lakenheath and removed them in 2008 after the cold war threat from Moscow receded. Pentagon documents seen by the newspaper reveal procurement contracts for a new facility at the airbase.
Grossi to Visit Zaporizhzhia, Warns Against Complacency
World Nuclear News
Grossi, briefing the United Nations Security Council for the sixth time on the situation in Ukraine, said he planned to visit the occupied plant and Kiev and Moscow within the next two weeks. It will enable him to assess the situation at the plant first-hand, eight months after his last visit. He said: "Although the plant has not been shelled for a considerable time, significant military activities continue in the region and sometimes in the vicinity of the facility, with our staff reporting rockets flying overhead close to the plant, thereby putting at risk the physical integrity of the plant."
Belarus Adopts New Military Doctrine Involving Nuclear Weapons
Mariya Knight and Chris Lau | CNN
Belarus on Friday adopted a new military doctrine that – if approved – would be the first step toward deploying nuclear weapons across the country. “The deployment of tactical nuclear weapons on the territory of the Republic of Belarus is considered an important measure of the preventive deterrence for potential adversaries from unleashing armed aggression against the Republic of Belarus,” Belarusian Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin told a briefing Friday. Belarus had been “forced” to put the measure in place, he added.
North Korea Fired Cruise Missiles in 3rd Launch of Such Weapons this Month, South Korea Says
KIM TONG-HYUNG | Associated Press
North Korea fired multiple cruise missiles into waters off its western coast Tuesday in its third launch of such weapons this month, South Korea’s military said, as the North continues to flaunt its expanding arsenal of weapons designed to overwhelm its rivals’ defenses.South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the South Korean and U.S. militaries were analyzing the launches that were detected around 7 a.m. It did not immediately provide more details, including the number of missiles fired, how far they flew, and whether they were launched from land or sea.
Air Force Sticking with Sentinel Despite Huge Cost Breach, Officials Say
Audrey Decker | DefenseOne
The Air Force will not abandon its program to build the next intercontinental ballistic missile, despite the massive cost overrun it reported to Congress last week, officials said. “Sentinel will be funded. We’ll make the trades that it takes to make that happen,” Lt. Gen. Richard Moore, deputy chief of staff for plans and programs, said Wednesday at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
China’s Waterlogged Missiles Don’t Matter
Heather Williams | CSIS
While there may be water in some of China’s missiles now, it cannot be assumed that this will remain the case. Xi’s dramatic response to the corruption indicates he is serious about building up China’s nuclear forces. Rather, this news reinforces the need for improved intelligence and understanding of China’s strategic forces and decisionmaking in Beijing. A recent report by the International State Department Advisory Board, for example, recommended, “the Department of State should better use its resources and insights to help the U.S. government understand how adversaries think and what they value, with a particular emphasis on managing the deterrence relationships with them.”