1 Nuclear, MissileNuclear, Missile & Space Digest & Space Digest

Volume 11, Number 23 A Fortnightly Newsletter from the Indian Pugwash Society December 15, 2019

Convenor Contents A. India Amb. Sujan R. Chinoy  India: Parliament in session, ministry's answers to question session  Launch of Chandrayaan-II  Progress of IRNSS  Satellites to Assess Pollution Status  Cyber attack on KKNPP  Preparations for Chandrayaan-3 Mission  Commercial Exploitation of Space Research and Development  Nuclear Power Plants for Electricity Generation  Functioning of Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant Executive Council  India's Nuclear Energy Target Cdr. (Dr.) Probal K. Ghosh  Cyber Security Audit Kknpp  Proposal of ISRO to transfer space-grade Li-Ion cell technology to BHEL Air Marshal S. G. Inamdar  Setting Up of Rocket Launching Pad in Tamil Nadu (Retd.)  Contract to Supply Uranium Ore Concentrates Dr. Roshan Khanijo  CHANDRAYAAN-III Amb. R. Rajagopalan  PSLV-C47 successfully launches Cartosat-3 and 13 Commercial nanosatellites into Sun Synchronous Polar Orbit Dr. Rajesh Rajagopalan  Dr Jitendra Singh calls for wider applications of nuclear technology in Shri Dinesh Kumar everyday life Yadvendra  India conducts first night trial of Agni-II missile  Nuclear-capable Prithvi-II Missile successfully testfired off Odisha coast  Tamil Nadu, Karnataka to soon have 440-MW of Nuclear power plants  Make in India: Plans to build light water reactors in atomic power plants

B. China  Mars mission test opened to foreigners  Will hypersonic DF-17 missile transform Beijing's Taiwan strategy?  China Ripped Off the M16A1 Rifle. The Only Question We Have Is Why?  China plans to complete space station construction around 2022: expert  China sends two global multimedia satellites into planned orbit

Indian Pugwash Society No.1, Development Enclave, Rao Tula Ram Marg, Near USI , Delhi-110010 Email: [email protected]

Tel. No (91-11) 2671-7983 Fax No. (91-11)2615-4192 2 Volume 11, Number 23 December 15, 2019

 China's homemade carrier sails through Taiwan Straits, commissioning imminent  China to build space station accommodating 3 astronauts  China says aircraft carrier on way to S.China Sea after Taiwan passage  Successful satellite tests to allow 'Hongyun speed' by 2020  Pentagon fears new airborne ship killer missile  Taikonaut, scientists mull space and future humanity  Nato set to keep close eye on China's growing military might  China's new commercial rocket to debut in 2020  Wuhan industry park aims to manufacture 120 satellites a year  China's Chang'e-4 probe resumes work for 12th lunar day  China's latest robots move so smoothly scientists dubbed them 'zero gravity'  China's "artificial sun" device set to be commissioned in 2020  Chang'e 4 lunar mission team awarded gold medal  Odd galaxies found that contradict theories of formation  China tests killer drones for street-to-street urban warfare, plans sales overseas  Chinese navy set to build fourth aircraft carrier, but plans for a more advanced ship are put on hold  Chinese Military Sets Up Think Tank to Guide Reform, Could Feature Top Weapon Makers: Analysts  Chinese warship showcases vertical launch missile system  Biggest stellar-mass black hole discovered  China's first electromagnetic satellite bears fruitful results  DF-17 may not sole hypersonic missile program: media

C. Pakistan  Shaheen-I ballistic missile training launch successful  'Pak's nuke threat is to avoid bashing in war'  IOR stands as a potential nuclear flashpoint  Federal govt launches programme for business community

D. USA  Conference: Advancing the rebirth of nuclear power  U.S. to no longer waive sanctions on Iranian nuclear site  Framatome implements cavitation peening at Millstone  U.S. aircraft carrier strike group sails through Strait of Hormuz  EDF plans to sell stake in US joint venture  OECD/NEA highlights challenges facing isotope supply chain  MOX Services gets settlement deal for shuttered facility at Savannah River  US legislature considers waste management reforms  EDF Will Bail on Three Nuclear Plants, Exelon Holds the Bag  Partnership to produce medical isotope from legacy waste  Bulgaria and USA to explore nuclear energy cooperation  U.S. assures banks on dollar dealings with China's COSCO hit by Iran sanctions  Frazer-Nash to support IMSR graphite moderator fabrication 3 Nuclear, Missile & Space Digest

E. Europe  France regrets U.S. decision on Fordow, rebukes Iran  Hungary aims to reach NATO defense spending goal in 2023  Exclusive: Hungary makes EU bid to soften nuclear licensing rules to ease Paks expansion  France warns Iran over nuclear deal dispute mechanism  France's Macron denies accepting Putin's missile proposal  Nuclear Deal Requires More European Efforts to Survive  European countries join INSTEX exchange to preserve Iran nuclear deal  Germany is closing all its nuclear power plants. Now it must find a place to bury the deadly waste for 1 million years  EU Committed to Finding Diplomatic Resolution to Nuclear Dispute

F. Russia  Russia ponders a floating nuclear plant for India  Moscow condemns US plans to end sanctions waiver over Iran's Fordow nuclear site  Russia condemns U.S. decision to end sanctions waiver on Iran's Fordow  Putin Says 'Unparalleled' Weapons Tested at Deadly Nuclear Accident Site  Rosatom Plans Multi-Billion-Dollar Expansion into Ocean Freight  Russian Watchdog Detects 'Radiation Incident' in South China Sea  Russia's Avangard hypersonic missile system to go on combat alert in December - top brass  Russia Shows Off Hypersonic Nuclear Missile to U.S. Inspectors  Russia says it showed hypersonic nuclear missile system to U.S. inspectors  Russia urges U.S. to extend nuclear pact due to expire in 2021  Kingdom in talks with Russia for nuclear science  EBRD announces breakthrough in clean-up of Andreeva Bay  Russian strategic nuclear forces test-launch Topol ICBM  Moscow May Stop Using Nukes as Deterrent Force, Commander of Russian Strategic Missile Forces Says  Russia tests hypersonic missile in Arctic - TASS cites sources

West Asia G. Israel  'Ex-security chief: Israel needs to attack Iran to stop nukes, 'ring of fire'

H. Saudi Arabia  Saudi Arabia: Iran misusing nuclear revenue to trigger unrest in region  Saudi Arabia decries Iran's nuclear breaches

I. Iran  Reinvigorating Iran's defense power best way to counter sanctions: minister  'Exiting JCPOA would punish Washington'  'Book recounting Leader's criticism of JCPOA published  'Iran urges intl. community to make U.S., Israel to agree to nuclear free zone Middle East 4 Volume 11, Number 23 December 15, 2019

 Rouhani: JCPOA collapse will harm the entire world  Russia to continue cooperation with Iran on Fordow reconfiguration  Russia says U.S. remains isolated at IAEA meeting on Iran  Europe should pay price to salvage JCPOA: envoy  Iran still faithful to all its JCPOA obligations, envoy tells IAEA  Iran voices serious concern over UAE nuclear safety  Sanctions on Fordow is a blow to nuclear deal: Russian CENESS director  Iran, IAEA sign new projects for technical cooperation  JCPOA joint commission to convene on December 6  Iran dismisses French comments about nuclear deal's dispute mechanism  Iran : Invoking nuclear deal's dispute resolution mechanism impossible - TV  Six European countries to join INSTEX  New IAEA chief says he wants 'constructive' relation with Iran  France welcomes six European countries' decision to join INSTEX  Diplomat hopes INSTEX would be implemented as six more countries join in  Salehi: Iran views IAEA inspector's act as 'industrial sabotage'

East Asia J. North Korea  North Korea says nuclear issues will not be on agenda unless U.S. 'hostile policy' discussed: KCNA  North Korea says will not offer anything to Trump without receiving in return: KCNA  KAPPC chief warns US against anti-DPRK hostility  North Korea says it's gained nothing from US but `betrayal'  N. Korea, Russia discuss 'strategic communications, cooperation  North Korea appears to have launched a missile, Japan's coastguard says  North Korea test fires rockets in Thanksgiving reminder of year-end deadline for U.S.  N. Korea hails 'successful test of super-large multiple rocket launcher'  North Korea threatens Japan with 'real ballistic missile'

K. South Korea  S. Korea, US hold annual defense ministers' talks  'Third US-North Korea summit to surely produce results': Moon  Ruling, main opposition parties welcome gov't's decision to postpone GSOMIA termination  South Korea decides to renew GSOMIA  Ambassador hopes GSOMIA decision helps strengthen S. Korea-US ties  NK's latest weapons test intended to warn it can return to past behavior: Seoul  Top nuclear envoys of S. Korea, US, Japan hold phone talks on NK firing

L. Japan  Pope Francis to take anti-nuclear mission to Japan's ground zeros  China warns Japan, S. Korea over deployment of U.S. missiles  Pope calls use of nuclear weapons immoral in video post to Japan 5 Nuclear, Missile & Space Digest

 Rich in dramatic Catholic history, Nagasaki awaits the pope  Pope in Hiroshima: Use and possession of atom bomb 'immoral'  Pope urges abolition of nuclear weapons at Japan's ground zeros  In Japan, Pope Francis urges rethink of reliance on nuclear energy  Pope urges world leaders to renounce nuclear weapons  Pope Francis leaves Japan after trip centred on anti-nuclear message  Tohoku reactor close to 2011 quake epicenter OK'd to restart

M. Op-Ed India  Are India and China Drifting into War?  U.S.-India Defense Ties Grow Closer as Shared Concerns in Asia Loom  Emerging nuclear crises that the world must brace for Pakistan  Structural Prejudice, Nuclear Technology and World Peace  Conventional balance of power between India and Pakistan  Rising irrationality in India's nuclear thinking USA  America's Iranian headache  California's San Onofre nuclear plant is a Chernobyl waiting to happen  How to advance nuclear energy in the US  Nuclear is a necessary part of our clean-energy future  Trump official who suggested dropping nuclear bombs on Afghanistan now responsible for arms control issues Russia  Back in 2017, Russian Nuclear Submarines Fired Torpedoes at Each Other  Why Did Russia Launch 8 Submarines All at Once?  World War III? In 1956, Russia Almost Fought Britain, France, and Israel With Nuclear Weapons  NATO Nukes Can't Save the Baltic States From a Russian Invasion  Nuclear reactors with a newly proposed barrier could've withstood Chernobyl and Fukushima  Meet the Terrifying Russian 'Stealth' Submarine That Scares the U.S. Navy  Russia set to dominate the Arctic unless Canada acts quickly to address shipping concerns  Russia, China, Arms Control, and the Value of New START West Asia Iran  U.N. nuclear watchdog presses Iran for answers on uranium traces  US cancels civil nuclear cooperation waiver for Iran  Inside Iran's plot to attack Saudi Arabia - analysis  The missile and nuclear threat from Iran East Asia North Korea  N. Korea's ultimatum  Troops for Nukes: Should the US Trade Its Forces in South Korea for North Korean Denuclearization? 6 Volume 11, Number 23 December 15, 2019

 Time Is Running Out for Trump's North Korean Diplomacy, Analysts Say  North Korea Test Fires Rockets Ahead Of Nuclear Talks Deadline  An Unexpected Way to Change North Korea's Nuclear Ambitions South Korea  Suggesting plebiscite on energy denuclearization Japan  In Japan, Pope Francis denounces nuclear weapons and questions nuclear power  Revisiting Japan's nuclear arms debate

N. Miscellaneous  Should the Government Subsidize Nuclear Power? Advocates Square Off  Is Nuclear Power a Solution for Climate Change?  Nuclear Power Does Slow Climate Change  Cyber Battles, Nuclear Outcomes? Dangerous New Pathways to Escalation

O. Think Tanks  Ditch the Bomb, not the NPT  In Japan, Pope Francis denounces nuclear weapons and questions nuclear power  What happened after an explosion at a Russian disease research lab called VECTOR?

P. Original Reports and Documents  India's Thorium (Nuclear Fuel) Market Outlook to 2023 - India is Set to Become a  Global Manufacturing Hub, Increasing the Demand for Nuclear Power in the Future  Update to OFAC's list of Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) and Blocked Persons  Issuance of New and Amended Iran-related Frequently Asked Questions 7 Nuclear, Missile & Space Digest

A. India community. The same was recently reviewed in an all India user meet India: Parliament in session, organized at New Delhi. ministry’s answers to question https://pib.gov.in/ session PressReleseDetailm.aspx?PRID=1592495 Launch of Chandrayaan-II Progress of IRNSS PIB Delhi, November 20, 2019 PIB Delhi, November 20, 2019 The approved cost of Chandrayaan-II India’s indigenous navigation satellite Project is Rs. 603 Crore (excluding launch system termed as Navigation with Indian cost). Chandrayaan-II was launched on- Constellation (NavIC) is already board the GSLV MK III M1. The cost of established by ISRO and is functional since GSLV MK III M1 vehicle is Rs. 367 Crore. April 2018.NavIC consists of Space Chandrayaan-II Spacecraft was successfully Segment (constellation of seven IRNSS launched. The objectives of Chandrayaan- satellites) and Ground Segment (spread II Mission were: 1. Scientific studies through across India).The system is providing payloads on-board the orbiter, 2. Technology Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT) demonstration of soft landing and roving on service and one satellite (IRNSS-1A) is the lunar surface. The indigenously providing messaging service. developed Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft comprising of Orbiter, Lander and Rover Use of AIS-140 compliant NavIC-based was successfully launched on-board vehicle trackers system has been made indigenous GSLV MK III-M1 Mission on compulsory to all commercial vehicles. 22nd July 2019. After accomplishing four More than 75 companies are now earth bound maneuvers and Trans Lunar manufacturing NavIC based vehicle Injection, the spacecraft was successfully trackers, and several thousand vehicles are inserted into the Lunar orbit on 20th August now plying on the roads equipped with 2019. A series of moon bound maneuvers these devices. The updated version of new were then carried out to achieve a Lunar mobile models will be having NavIC based orbit of 119x127 km. The Lander ‘Vikram’ positioning systems. NavIC has been was separated, as planned, from the Orbiter accepted by 3GPP (Third Generation on 2nd September 2019. After two Project Partnership) thereby enabling successful de-orbiting maneuvers, powered incorporation of NavIC as part of assisted descent of the Lander was initiated on 7th GNSS. NavIC is also useful for applications September 2019 to achieve soft landing on like timing solution, drones, surveying, the moon surface. weather radiosondes, forestry, precision agriculture, etc. Most of the components of Technology demonstration, including the launch, orbital https://pib.gov.in/ critical maneuvers, lander separation, de- PressReleseDetailm.aspx?PRID=1592496 boost and rough braking phase were successfully accomplished. With regards to Satellites to Assess Pollution the scientific objectives, all the 8 state of the Status art scientific instruments of the Orbiter are performing as per the design and providing PIB Delhi, November 20, 2019 valuable scientific data. Due to the precise The Imager payload on-board ISRO’s launch and orbital maneuvers, the mission INSAT-3D & 3DR satellites is used to life of the Orbiter is increased to 7 years. The monitor Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD), data received from the Orbiter is being which is indicator of particles and smoke provided continuously to the scientific from biomass burning affecting visibility 8 Volume 11, Number 23 December 15, 2019

and increase of PM2.5 and PM10 Preparations for Chandrayaan-3 concentration in the atmosphere. It is found Mission that AOD, PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations are higher over Indo-Gangetic Plain covering PIB Delhi, November 20, 2019 parts of Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar ISRO has drawn out a roadmap of lunar during October and November. High exploration missions to master the concentration of these pollutants is seen technologies required. This roadmap has originating from parts of Punjab and been presented to the space commission. Haryana during stubble burning. Based on the final analysis and INSAT 3D & 3DR Imager based AOD, recommendations of the expert committee, PM2.5 and PM10 spatial maps are made work on future lunar missions is available on web portals progressing. viz. airquality.iirs.gov.in and www.mosdac.gov.inalong The expert committee has analyzed the with other ancillary parameters for flight data and extensive simulations were visualization. Using medium resolution carried out to re-construct the flight Indian Remote Sensing (IRS) satellite data, behavior. The recommendations of the stubble burned area maps are generated at expert committee will be implemented in the end of stubble burning activity in Kharif future lunar missions. season. ISRO has been carrying out monitoring of stubble burning since 2015. https://pib.gov.in/ The products generated are comparable to PressReleseDetailm.aspx?PRID=1592835 the NASA products. Commercial Exploitation of Space https://pib.gov.in/ PressReleseDetailm.aspx?PRID=1592494 Research and Development PIB Delhi, November 21, 2019 Cyber attack on KKNPP A new company by name, “New Space PIB Delhi, November 20, 2019 India Limited (NSIL)”, has been incorporated on 06th March 2019, as a A malware infection was identified in wholly owned Government of India NPCIL KKNPP Internet connected system. Undertaking / Central Public Sector There was an identification of a malware Enterprise (CPSE), under the infection on KKNPP administrative network administrative control of Department of used for day to day administrative activities. Space (DOS) to commercially exploit the The affected system contains data related to research and development work of Indian administrative function. Plant control and Space Research Organisation (ISRO). instrumentation system is not connected to any external network such as Intranet, Mandate of NSIL includes viz. (i) Small Internet and administrative system. The Satellite technology transfer to industry malware infection was not able to get access wherein NSIL will obtain license from to the controls of the Nuclear Power Plant. DOS/ISRO and sub-license it to industries; Investigations have been carried out by the (ii) Manufacture of Small Satellite Launch Computer & Information Security Advisory Vehicle (SSLV) in collaboration with Group (CISAG) – DAE along with the Private Sector; (iii) Productionisation of national agency, Indian Computer Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) Emergency Response Team (CERT-In). The through Indian Industry; (iv) investigation concluded that the malware Productionisation and marketing of Space infection was limited to the administrative based services, including launch and network of KKNPP. application; (v) Transfer of technology developed by ISRO Centres and https://pib.gov.in/ constituent institutions of DOS; and (vi) PressReleseDetailm.aspx?PRID=1592498 9 Nuclear, Missile & Space Digest

Marketing of spin-off technologies and being operated at about 65% power as products, both in India and abroad and (vii) increased vibration in generator stator is any other subject which Government of observed at higher power levels. The India deems fit. generator stator is planned to be replaced during the next refueling outage planned All the involved technologies related to from December 2019, following which the ISRO’s small satellite and its sub-systems unit is expected to be operated at full that could be transferred to Indian industries power. for productionisation which eventually would cater to national demand as well as https://pib.gov.in/ commercial needs of domestic and global PressReleseDetailm.aspx?PRID=1593772 market. This activity is also likely to give rise to several spin-off technologies that could India’s Nuclear Energy Target be marketed nationally and globally. PIB Delhi, November 27, 2019 Through the sale of products related to small satellite, sub-system technology and the spin Seven (07) reactor units with a capacity off products in domestic and global market, of 5300 MW are under construction and foreign exchange revenue will be generated. excavation is in progress for start of construction of four (04) more units having https://pib.gov.in/ a capacity of 3400 MW. The Government PressReleseDetailm.aspx?PRID=1592832 has accorded administrative approval and financial sanction of ten (10) more reactor Nuclear Power Plants for Electricity units of 700 MW each. Additionally, the Generation Government has accorded ‘in-principle’ approval to five (05) sites of which four PIB Delhi, November 21, 2019 (04) sites are earmarked for housing six large size reactor units at each site in The present installed nuclear power capacity cooperation with foreign technology in the country comprises of 22 reactors with partners and one site for housing four a total capacity of 6780 MW. Of these one reactor units based on indigenous reactor, RAPS-1 (100 MW) is under technology. extended shutdown for techno-economic assessment. The nuclear power plants The Government has taken several contribute about 3% of the total electricity measures for augmenting nuclear power generated in the country. The electrical capacity. These include: energy requirement of the country for year 2018-19 is 1274595 MUs whereas projected i. Accord of administrative approval energy requirement for year 2021-22 is and financial sanction of - ten (10) 1566023 MUs. The percentage increase in indigenous 700 MW Pressurized energy requirement for the country till 2021- Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs) to be 2022 w.r.t. energy requirement of 2018-19 set up in fleet mode & two (02) units is 22.86% of Light Water Reactors (LWRs) to be set up in cooperation with Russian https://pib.gov.in/ Federation. PressReleseDetailm.aspx?PRID=1592807 ii. Creation of Indian Nuclear Insurance Functioning of Kudankulam Pool (INIP) in the context of Civil Nuclear Power Plant Liability for Nuclear Damage (CLND) Act 2010. PIB Delhi, November 27, 2019 iii. Amendment of the Atomic Energy The second unit of Kudankulam Nuclear Act to enable Joint Ventures of Public Power Plant (KKNPP) -2 is operating at Sector Companies to set up nuclear about 65% power. KKNPP-2 is presently power projects. 10 Volume 11, Number 23 December 15, 2019

iv. Entering into enabling agreements with indigenous and imported) for establishing foreign countries for nuclear power this facility are procured and being cooperation. commissioned. ISRO has already provided all technical documentation for https://pib.gov.in/ establishing the production plant as well PressReleseDetailm.aspx?PRID=1593770 as hands-on training in various production activities for BHEL staff at ISRO’s facilities. Cyber Security Audit Kknpp As per the Technology Transfer PIB Delhi, November 27, 2019 Agreement, space-grade Li-Ion cells manufactured by BHEL are meant for Complete check of the administrative meeting the national requirements only. network of Kudankulam Nuclear Power However, BHEL can also sell the space- Plant (KKNPP) was done by Indian grade Li-Ion cells to parties outside India Computer Emergency Response Team after obtaining prior written consent from (CERT-In) along with Computer & Information Security Advisory Group ISRO. (CISAG) of Department of Atomic Energy https://pib.gov.in/ (DAE).Certain measures for immediate and PressReleseDetailm.aspx?PRID=1594002 short term implementation has been recommended. Several measures have been taken for further strengthening of Setting Up of Rocket Launching Information Security in administrative Pad in Tamil Nadu networks viz. hardening of internet and PIB Delhi, November 28, 2019 administrative intranet connectivity, restriction on removable media, blocking of Government has proposal to set up rocket websites & IPs which have been identified launching pad near Kulasekarapattinam with malicious activity etc. in the State of Tamil Nadu.

https://pib.gov.in/ https://pib.gov.in/ PressReleseDetailm.aspx?PRID=1593768 PressReleseDetailm.aspx?PRID=1594001

Proposal of ISRO to transfer space- Contract to Supply Uranium Ore grade Li-Ion cell technology to Concentrates BHEL PIB Delhi, November 28, 2019 PIB Delhi, November 28, 2019 India has signed a long term contract with ISRO has transferred its indigenous Uzbekistan on 18.01.2019 for supply of technology to produce space-grade Li-Ion 1100 MTU of natural uranium ore cells to BHEL. concentrates during the years 2022 to 2026. India has entered into similar In March 2018, BHEL signed the Technology agreements with overseas suppliers from Transfer Agreement with ISRO for acquiring various countries like Canada, the Li-Ion Cell production technology. This Kazakhstan and France for the supply of production facility is primarily targeting to Uranium Ore. meet Li-Ion Cell requirements for ISRO and other strategic sectors. However, BHEL can https://pib.gov.in/ also produce and sell Li-Ion cells for meeting PressReleseDetailm.aspx?PRID=1594022 other national/commercial applications by suitably modifying the space-grade cell CHANDRAYAAN-III which can lead to cost reduction. PIB Delhi, November 27, 2019 BHEL is in the process of establishing the ISRO has drawn out a roadmap of lunar Li-Ion production facility near Bangalore in exploration missions to master the Karnataka. Various equipments (both technologies required. This roadmap has 11 Nuclear, Missile & Space Digest

been presented to the space commission. This was the 74th launch vehicle mission Based on the final analysis and from SDSC SHAR, Sriharikota and 9th recommendations of the expert committee, satellite of Cartosat series. About 5000 works on future lunar missions are visitors witnessed the launch live from the progressing. Viewer’s Gallery in Sriharikota

https://pib.gov.in/ https://pib.gov.in/ PressReleseDetailm.aspx?PRID=1593795 PressReleseDetailm.aspx?PRID=1593673

PSLV-C47 successfully launches Dr Jitendra Singh calls for wider Cartosat-3 and 13 Commercial applications of nuclear technology nanosatellites into Sun Synchronous in everyday life Polar Orbit PIB Delhi, November 29, 2019 PIB Delhi, November 27, 2019 The Minister of State (Independent charge) India’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle, in its of the Ministry of DONER, Minister of forty ninth flight (PSLV-C47), successfully State for PMO, Personnel, Public launched Cartosat-3 along with 13 Grievances & Pensions; Atomic Energy & Nanosatellites of USA from Satish Dhawan Space, DrJitendra Singh has called for Space Centre (SDSC) SHAR, Sriharikota wider applications of nuclear technology today. PSLV-C47 lifted-off at 0928 Hrs (IST) in everyday life. He said the vision of the from the Second Launch Pad. After 17 founding father of India’s nuclear minutes and 38 seconds, Cartosat-3 was programme, Dr. HomiBhabhawas not to successfully injected into a sun synchronous limit the nuclear research to the confines orbit of 509 km. Subsequently, the 13 of the laboratory, but to take the nanosatellites were injected into their technology to the outside world for the intended orbits. After separation, solar benefit of mankind. He was addressing at arrays of Cartosat-3 were deployed a roadshow on Advances in Nuclear Food automatically and the ISRO Telemetry and Agriculture, organised by the Bhabha Tracking and Command Network at Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Bengaluru assumed control of the satellite. Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), here In the coming days, the satellite will be today. The Secretary, DAE, Shri K N Vyas brought to its final operational and other senior officers were also present configuration. on the occasion.

“Cartosat-3 is the most complex and DrJitendra Singh said way back in the advanced earth observation satellite built by Fifties, when Dr Homi Bhabhasaid our ISRO.” Dr Sivan said. He further added that nuclear programme is based on the it was a third generation agile advanced peaceful use of atomic energy, the world satellite having high resolution imaging did not believe us. But today we are capability. running a successful and safe nuclear energy programme. The mission life of the Cartosat-3 is 5 years. Cartosat-3 will address the increased user’s https://pib.gov.in/ demands for large scale urban planning, PressReleseDetailm.aspx?PRID=1594303 rural resource and infrastructure development, coastal land use and land India conducts first night trial of cover, etc. ISRO Chairman Dr K Sivan Agni-II missile congratulated and complimented the launch vehicle and satellite teams involved India Today, November 16, 2019 in the mission. He also acknowledged the India on Saturday successfully conducted support from Indian Industry. PSLV-C47 the first night trial of nuclear-capable was the 21st flight of PSLV in ‘XL’ intermediate range ballistic missile Agni- configuration (with 6 solid strap-on motors). 12 Volume 11, Number 23 December 15, 2019

II from the Abdul Kalam Island off the in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka between Odisha coast. November 27 and December 1 this year, as per Power System Operation The Strategic Forces Command of the Indian Corporation Ltd (POSOCO). The two units Army test-fired the versatile surface-to- of 220 MW each belongs to India’s nuclear surface medium-range nuclear-capable power operator Nuclear Power missile from launching complex IV of the Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL). The first Integrated Test Range on Saturday evening, nuclear power unit that is expected to defence sources said. Developed by the restart generation is the third unit 220 MW Defence Research and Development unit at Kaiga Generating Station in Organisation (DRDO), the missile has Karnataka that stopped generation on already been inducted into the armed forces. November 5, 2019 for ‘Generator Protection Operated’ said POSOCO. The 20-metre-long, two-stage ballistic missile has a strike range of 2,000 km. It has a https://www.ibtimes.co.in/440-mw-nuclear- launch weight of 17 tonnes and can carry a power-plants-tn-karnataka-soon-809301 payload of 1,000 kg, the sources said.

https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/india- Make in India: Plans to build light conducts-first-night-trial-of-agni-ii-missile- water reactors in atomic power 1619704-2019-11-16 plants C Shivakumar, The New Indian Express, Nuclear-capable Prithvi-II Missile November 30, 2019 successfully testfired off Odisha coast Is India looking at building light water reactors (LWRs) under ‘Make in India’ Mohammad Suffian, India Today, November programme? According to Russia’s 21, 2019 Rosatom State Atomic Energy Corporation, India is looking at India on Wednesday successfully test-fired possibilities of localisation of LWR systems two rounds of its indigenously developed manufacturing within the framework of nuclear-capable Prithvi-II missile back-to- the programme. It is learnt that during the back at night as part of a user trial by the international conference organised by Army from a mobile launcher from Launch Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) Complex-3 of Chandipur Integrated Test and Nuclear Power Corporation of India Range (ITR) in Balasore district. Limited (NPCIL), under the aegis of Homi It is capable of carrying 500 to 1,000 kg of Bhabha National Institute (HBNI) in warheads and is powered by liquid Mumbai earlier this month, discussions propulsion twin engines. The state-of-the- were held over future utilisation of LWRs art missile uses an advanced inertial in India to supplement existing plans of guidance system with maneuvering orbit to construction of heavy water pressurised hit its target. reactors. Rosatom said participants at the event discussed issues and possibilities of https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/nuclear- localisation of LWR systems capable-prithvi-ii-missile-successfully-testfired- manufacturing within the framework of off-odisha-coast-1621012-2019-11-21 the “Make in India” program. It said Business to Business meetings were held. Tamil Nadu, Karnataka to soon have 440-MW of Nuclear power plants https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/ 2019/nov/30/make-in-india-plans-to-build- IBT Times, November 25, 2019 light-water-reactors-in-atomic-power-plants- 2069178.html A total of 440-megawatt (MW) of Nuclear Power generation is expected to begin 13 Nuclear, Missile & Space Digest

B. China China Ripped Off the M16A1 Rifle. The Only Question We Have Mars mission test opened to Is Why? foreigners Kyle Mizokami, National Interest Blog, Zhao Lei, China Daily, November 15, 2019 November 16, 2019 China carried out a key experiment for its Key Point: The gun is mysterious; why’d coming Mars mission in Huailai, Hebei the Chinese manufacture it, why was it province, on Thursday in front of dozens of not given to their security services, and foreign diplomats and journalists. The why has it been able to make its away experiment aimed to verify the design and across the world? capability of the lander of China’s robotic Mars probe, the first of its kind in China, Some weapons are so ubiquitous they are according to Zhang Kejian, director of the manufactured even in countries one might China National Space Administration, who not associate them with. One example of oversaw the test. It also was the first time this is the M16 rifle series. In service with China had opened its Mars mission, which the U.S. Military for more than fifty years, is expected to be launched into space next it has fallen into the hands of many groups year, to foreign visitors, he said, adding that that were not originally issued them, such it was a practical step in the nation’s as the Viet Cong, communist guerrillas in exchange and cooperation with the the Philippines, and now the Islamic State. international space community. Only one of America’s potential adversaries took the step of making their http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/cndy/2019-11/15/ own M16s, however: that distinction content_37523079.htm belongs to China with the production of the CQ rifle. Will hypersonic DF-17 missile transform Beijing’s Taiwan The Cold War saw large numbers of M16 strategy? style rifles issued to America’s allies worldwide, from the South Vietnamese Minnie Chan, South China Morning Post, Army to the Israeli Defense Forces. November 16, 2019 Lightweight and reasonably effective once a series of embarrassing—and deadly— China’s DF-17 hypersonic boost-glide missile kinks were ironed out, the M16A1 rifle may be powerful enough to penetrate US was also a visual symbol of a country’s missile shields in the region, transforming alliance with the United States, just as the Beijing’s previously defensive strategy of AK-47/M assault rifle was a symbol of containing independence-leaning forces in support by the Soviet Union. the Taiwan Strait. https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/china- Zhou Chenming, a Beijing-based military ripped-m16a1-rifle-only-question-we-have-why- expert, said the DF-17 missile had extended 96501 China’s range from the Taiwan Strait to the US military base in Yokosuka, Japan. While China plans to complete space the primary aim was to deter an independence movement taking hold in the station construction around 2022: self-ruled island, China was now in a expert position to prevent a possible intervention Xinhua, November 17, 2019 by the US aircraft carrier strike group, should Beijing decide to take back the island China plans to complete the construction by force. of a space station and have it put into operation around 2022, said Zhou https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/ Jianping, the chief designer of China’s article/3037972/will-hypersonic-df-17-missile- manned space program, at a forum held transform-beijings-taiwan in south China’s Guangdong Province. 14 Volume 11, Number 23 December 15, 2019

“The main goal of the construction of the to south on Saturday, media reported on space station is to enable China to become a Sunday, with experts saying the warship country independently mastering the is now technically mature and could be technology for long-term manned flight in commissioned into military service soon, near-Earth space, and having the capability as a base in Sanya, South China’s Hainan to carry out long-term manned scientific Province, could host large naval vessels. experiments in near-Earth space and comprehensive development and utilization Accompanied by an escort fleet, the of space resources,” said Zhou at the 4th aircraft carrier entered the Taiwan Straits China Summit Forum on Human Factors from its north on Saturday evening, Taipei- Engineering, which was held at Sun Yat-sen based China Times reported on Sunday, University from Saturday to Sunday. citing information released by the defense authority in the island of Taiwan. http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2019-11/17/ c_138562388.htm China’s Ministry of National Defense or the Chinese People’s Liberation Army China sends two global multimedia (PLA) did not release any information on satellites into planned orbit the warship’s activity as of press time. The domestically developed carrier is believed Xinhua, November 17, 2019 to be on its ninth sea trial since its departure from the Dalian Shipyard in Two global multimedia satellites were sent Northeast China’s Liaoning Province since into planned orbit from the Jiuquan Satellite Thursday, Hong Kong-based Launch Center in northwest China on wenweipo.com reported on Thursday. Sunday. The two global multimedia satellites, KL-a-A and KL-a-B, was launched http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/ by Kuaizhou-1A (KZ- 1A), a carrier rocket. 1170339.shtml

The two satellites are international China to build space station cooperative commercial projects delivered by the Innovation Academy for accommodating 3 astronauts Microsatellites of the Chinese Academy of Global Times, November 18, 2019 Sciences. They are mainly used for the Ka- band communication technology test, and China is scheduled to build and operate a the user is a German company. KZ-1A is a space station in 2022, which will low-cost solid-fuel carrier rocket with high accommodate three astronauts, and space reliability and a short preparation period. would be reserved for enlargement. The The rocket, developed by a company under station will last at least 10 years and could the China Aerospace Science and Industry be extended through in-orbit maintenance. Corporation, is mainly used to launch low- A total of 16 experiment racks will be orbit microsatellites. Sunday’s launch was installed to support hundreds of space the third mission for KZ-1A this year. research projects, the report said. “The http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2019-11/17/ main goal of the station construction is to c_138562304.htm realize China a country capable of independently mastering the long-term China’s homemade carrier sails manned flight technology, carrying out through Taiwan Straits, long-term manned experiments in near- earth space, and comprehensively commissioning imminent developing and utilizing space resources.” Guo Yuandan and Liu Xuanzun, Global Zhou said in the report. Times, November 17, 2019 http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/ China’s first domestically built aircraft 1170347.shtml carrier, the second in total, sailed through the Taiwan Straits and headed from north 15 Nuclear, Missile & Space Digest

China says aircraft carrier on way to goal of providing internet connectivity to S.China Sea after Taiwan passage users around the world, developers told the Global Times on Tuesday. The project, Reuters, November 18, 2019 also known as the H-cloud, was developed China’s first domestically-built aircraft by CASIC. The first tech-experimental carrier is on its way to the South China Sea satellite for the project was launched on for tests and to take part in exercises, the December 22, 2018 from the Jiuquan Chinese navy said on Monday, after sailing Satellite Launch Center in Northwest through the Taiwan Strait in a mission China’s Gansu Province. CASIC said in a denounced by Taipei as intimidation. statement it sent to the Global Times on Taiwan’s defence ministry said on Sunday Tuesday that all satellite performance and a Chinese carrier group led by the ship function tests have been completed. The passed through the sensitive strait with U.S. testing included under different weather and Japanese vessels tailing it. Self-ruled conditions, and for different business Taiwan, regarded by China as a wayward scenarios such as website browsing, video province, said Beijing was trying to chats and high-resolution streaming intimidate the island ahead of a presidential services. During the tests, there was no election in January. In a statement, the frame loss or buffering, and all functions Chinese Navy said the carrier passed and indicators met the design through the Taiwan Strait on Sunday night, requirements, it said. going to the South China Sea for “scientific By the beginning of 2020, users across tests and routine drills”. China will be able access the China’s still-unnamed carrier, the first to be demonstration system of the Hongyun built domestically, began sea trials last year. Project, and they will be able to take Chinese military experts have told state advantage of what it described as media it is not expected to enter service until “Hongyun speed,” CASIC said. The 2020, once it has been kitted out and armed. Hongyun Project, which was announced The ship has been undergoing sea trials from in 2017, is expected to launch four more it base in the northern port city of Dalian, satellites to gain preliminary experience by where it was built. Little is known about 2020. CASIC expects to have a total of 156 China’s carrier programme, which is a state satellites in operation by the middle of the secret. The government has said the new 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25). vessel’s design draws on experiences with The project can offer communication and its first carrier, the Liaoning, which was internet services for China and less- bought second-hand from Ukraine in 1998 developed countries with reduced latency. and refitted in China. http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/ https://in.reuters.com/article/china-taiwan- 1170542.shtml military/update-1-china-says-aircraft-carrier-on- way- to-schina-sea-after-taiwan-passage- idINL4N27Y130 Pentagon fears new airborne ship killer missile Successful satellite tests to allow Dave Makichuk, Asia Times, November 20, ‘Hongyun speed’ by 2020 2019 Deng Xiaoci, Global Times, November 19, The US Navy has a new weapon to fear 2019 — and this one could change the entire game. The Chinese air force has modified The demonstration system for China’s a small number of H-6 bombers Hongyun Project, a low-orbit broadband apparently to carry a very large new anti- communication satellite system, will become ship missile, The National Interest operational at the beginning of 2020, making reported. The new munition, possibly a substantial progress toward the eventual variant of the DF-21D ballistic anti-ship 16 Volume 11, Number 23 December 15, 2019

missile, could pose a serious danger to US human health. Aerospace breeding and Navy vessels operating in the western space carrying technology are showcased Pacific. Aircraft carriers, in particular, could from the aspects of rice breeding, be at risk. The new H-6N variant of the biotechnological experiments on the space venerable Chinese bomber — itself a clone stations, and commercial recoverable of the Soviet Tu-16 — first appeared over satellite carrying technology. Beijing during preparations for celebrations marking the 70th anniversary of the http://www.cityofzhuhai.com/2019-11/20/ founding of the People’s Republic of China. c_425740.htm

The H-6Ns feature an under-fuselage recess Nato set to keep close eye on that could accommodate a single, very large China’s growing military might missile. The DF-21D is more than 30 feet long and weighs around 32,000 pounds. It South China Morning Post, November 20, can travel as far as 1,300 miles with a 1,200- 2019 pound warhead, the National Interest Foreign ministers to meet in London to reported. “Experts say that there at least discuss plans to monitor the build-up of four of these aircraft presently assigned to a Beijing’s armed forces as the bloc tries to People’s Liberation Army Air Force bomber show that it is rising to today’s challenges. brigade in China’s Central Theater Nato foreign ministers are set on Command region,” Joseph Trevithick wrote Wednesday to make space a domain of at The War Zone. In recent years China has warfare and agree to closely monitor dredged several reefs in the Paracels and China’s growing military might in built military outposts on them. decisions that many allies say show the alliance is not dying, as France has https://www.asiatimes.com/2019/11/article/ pentagon-fears-new-airborne-ship-killer-missile/ suggested. Envoys hope that two major policies – on space as a new frontier in Taikonaut, scientists mull space and defence and on China – will show that Nato is not a cold war relic but a shield future humanity against threats, including Russia’s decision China Daily, November 20, 2019 to develop missiles capable of hitting Europe at short notice. The space policy, More than 800 astronauts, scientists, experts, which has been months in negotiation, and business bellwethers from eight will mean that battles can be waged not countries including the US, UK, Russia, only on land, in the air, at sea and on France, and Germany are gathered at the computer networks, but also in space. Zhuhai International Convention & Exhibition Center in Shizimen from Nov 17 Nato will not deploy weapons to space. It to 20 to explore space technology and will begin work on protecting satellites humanity’s future. Themed “The Same crucial for modern communications. Nato Home Under the Same Sky,” the 2019 diplomats denied that the alliance would International Symposium on the Peaceful be on a war footing in space, but said that Uses of Space Technology (Health) consists declaring it a domain would begin a of 50 keynote speeches on space economy, debate over whether Nato should space medical technology, remote-sensing eventually use space weapons that could technology application, aerospace breeding shut down enemy missiles and air defences and space carrying technology, as well as or destroy satellites. China and Russia are space education. also active in space.

The event exhibits medical robots, precision https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/ medical treatment, medical diagnosis, article/3038644/nato-set-keep-close-eye-chinas- artificial intelligence, and other technologies growing-military-might related to space medical technology and 17 Nuclear, Missile & Space Digest

China’s new commercial rocket to of 2019, which will enable the country to debut in 2020 manufacture 20 more rockets a year. Deng Xiaoci, Global Times, November 20, http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/ 2019 1170687.shtml

China’s new carrier rocket the Long March- China’s Chang’e-4 probe resumes 8 has entered final assembly and test stages and is expected to make its maiden flight in work for 12th lunar day 2020, the Global Times has learned from the Xinhua, November 22, 2019 developer - China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology under the China The lander and rover of the Chang’e-4 Aerospace Science and Technology probe have resumed work for the 12th Corporation (CASC). The new carrier rocket lunar day on the far side of the moon after will fill a void in the Chinese space landscape “sleeping” during the extremely cold in terms of sending payloads weighing night. The lander woke up at 5:03 p.m. between 3 and 4.5 tons to the Sun’s Thursday (Beijing Time), and the rover, synchronous orbit, as well as its capability Yutu-2 (Jade Rabbit-2), awoke at 0:51 a.m. to send cargo into low-earth orbit and the same day. Both are in normal working geosynchronous orbit, which promises a order, according to the Lunar Exploration bright future for the commercial launch and Space Program Center of the China market of the Long March-8. National Space Administration.

It will take around 12 months from when a The rover has traveled about 319 meters client signs a contract with the company to on the moon to conduct scientific when the rocket is prepared for a mission. exploration of the virgin territory. The The launch window is around 10 days. Tang Chang’e-4 probe, launched on Dec. 8, predicted the rocket, after entering the 2018, made the first-ever soft landing on market, will primarily carry out more than the Von Karman Crater in the South Pole- 10 launch missions a year and later on it will Aitken Basin on the far side of the moon be able to undertake such missions more on Jan. 3, 2019. A lunar day equals 14 days than 20 times per year. on Earth, and a lunar night is the same length. The Chang’e-4 probe switched to http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/ dormant mode during the lunar night due 1170694.shtml to the lack of solar power.

Wuhan industry park aims to http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2019-11/22/ c_138575230.htm manufacture 120 satellites a year Deng Xiaoci, Global Times, November 20, China’s latest robots move so 2019 smoothly scientists dubbed them ‘zero gravity’ China plans to build a satellite industry park in Wuhan, capital of Central China’s Hubei Stephen Chen, South China Morning Post, Province that can make as many as 120 November 25, 2019 satellites a year, the Global Times learned from the project contractor. According to China is developing robotic arms to help China Aerospace Science and Industry further its advances in space that operate Corporation (CASIC), the Wuhan satellite so smoothly alongside humans that industry park, a new addition to the city’s scientists have dubbed their movements national space industrial base, will become “zero gravity”. The technology uses operational in 2020 and will manufacture artificial intelligence (AI) with cutting-edge 120 satellites for general use, each weighing sensors to help the “robot”, essentially a less than a ton. A rocket assembly plant is giant arm, grip and lift heavy objects, also scheduled to start operation by the end according to scientists with China 18 Volume 11, Number 23 December 15, 2019

Aerospace Science and Technology on Monday, the China National Space Corporation, the state-owned main Administration said. It is the first time the contractor for the country’s space British institution, founded in 1866 and the programme. The sensors allow the arm to oldest aerospace society in the world, has collaborate seamlessly with human conferred a medal on a Chinese space technicians to perform tasks in a fraction of program, the administration said in a the time they took before – which is proving statement issued on Tuesday. Wu Weiren, a particular advantage in China’s chief designer of China’s Chang’e lunar endeavours in space. programs and an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, and https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/ representatives from the Chang’e 4 3038783/chinas-latest-robots-move-so- smoothly- mission team took part in the award scientists-dubbed-them ceremony.

China’s “artificial sun” device set to The Chang’e 4 robotic probe, which be commissioned in 2020 consists of a stationary lander and the Yutu 2 rover, was launched atop a Long March Xinhua, November 26, 2019 3B rocket in early December from the The HL-2M Tokamak, China’s next- Xichang Satellite Launch Center in generation “artificial sun,” is expected to be Sichuan province, becoming the country’s operational in 2020 as installation work has fourth lunar exploration mission and the gone smoothly since the delivery of the coil world’s first expedition to the moon’s far system in June. Designed to replicate the side, which never faces the Earth. natural reactions that occur in the sun using https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/201911/26/ hydrogen and deuterium gases as fuels, the WS5ddcc651a310cf3e3557a176.html device aims at providing clean energy through controlled nuclear fusion. The new Odd galaxies found that contradict apparatus, with a more advanced structure and control mode, is expected to generate theories of formation plasmas hotter than 200 million degrees China Daily Global, November 27, 2019 Celsius, said Duan Xuru, head of the Southwestern Institute of Physics under the Chinese astronomers have discovered a China National Nuclear Corporation. special population of dwarf galaxies that mainly consist of baryons with radii of up Duan was quoted at the ongoing 2019 China to tens of thousands of light-years, where Fusion Energy Conference held in Leshan, they are expected to be dominated by dark southwest China’s Sichuan Province. The matter. The discovery, made by artificial sun will provide key technical researchers from the National support for China’s participation in the Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese International Thermonuclear Experimental Academy of Sciences, Peking University Reactor project, as well as the self- designing and Tsinghua University, was published and building of fusion reactors, he noted. in the latest issue of the science journal Nature Astronomy. http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2019-11/26/ c_138584676.htm The finding provides observational evidence that could challenge the Chang’e 4 lunar mission team formation theory of dwarf galaxies in the awarded gold medal framework of standard cosmology, and may provide new clues to the nature of Zhao Lei, China Daily, November 26, 2019 dark matter, said Guo Qi, a researcher Chinese scientists and engineers involved in from the NAOC and head of the research the Chang’e 4 lunar exploration mission team. In standard cosmology, the universe received the Royal Aeronautical Society’s is dominated by cold dark matter and Team Gold Medal at a ceremony in London dark energy, while baryons only occupy 19 Nuclear, Missile & Space Digest

4.6 percent of outer space. Galaxies form and said that technical challenges and high evolve in systems dominated costs had put the brakes on the programme and the recent merger of the http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/global/2019-11/27/ country’s two major shipbuilders was content_37525679.htm unlikely to have a significant short- term impact. China tests killer drones for street- to-street urban warfare, plans sales But plans for a next-generation carrier overseas appear to be on hold for now as engineers struggle to overcome technical problems. Liu Zhen South China Morning Post, “There is no plan to build more aircraft November 28, 2019 carriers,” said one military source.

Tianyi quadcopter built by a subsidiary of a “The third and fourth Chinese aircraft state aerospace corporation is designed to carriers on the agenda are both Type 002s, carry out ground-level reconnaissance and the country’s next generation warship precision strikes in cities. A Chinese equipped with electromagnetic catapults technology firm is testing a new attack drone [for launching jets].” specifically designed to help ground troops in street-level combat, in the hope that it can The new conglomerate – which retains the sell the unit abroad, reports say. The name CSIC name – has a total of 147 developer, Tianjin Zhongwei Aerospace research institutes, business enterprises Data System Technology, said the and listed companies with a combined unmanned aerial vehicle had been designed asset value of 790 billion yuan (US$112 to carry out both reconnaissance missions billion). It also employs 310,000 people, and close-range strikes against armoured according to the official news agency vehicles or individuals in an urban Xinhua. environment. https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/ Chinese drone manufacturers are also able article/3039653/chinese-navy-set-build-fourth- to sell to markets that Western companies aircraft-carrier-plans-more are barred from due to political concerns or other reasons. The country’s main drone Chinese Military Sets Up Think exports include the fixed-wing CH-4 and Tank to Guide Reform, Could CH-5 drones, developed by the China Feature Top Weapon Makers: Academy of Aerospace Aerodynamics, Analysts which have proved popular with buyers from central Asia and the Middle East due Defence-aerospace, November 28, 2019 to their versatility, fire power and relatively low cost. The Central Military Committee (CMC) on Monday announced a new think tank https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/ consisting of military and civilian experts article/3039827/chinese-tech-firm-testing-urban- to evaluate drafts on military policies and attack-drone-designed-carry-out institutional reform, with analysts saying on Tuesday that top weapon and Chinese navy set to build fourth equipment developers could be involved, aircraft carrier, but plans for a more potentially providing valuable opinions to advanced ship are put on hold deepen the comprehensive military reform. A meeting to assign tasks on the Minnie Chan, South China Morning Post, consultation and evaluation of military November 28, 2019 policies and institutional reform was held on Monday in Beijing, with Xu Qiliang, The Chinese navy is moving ahead with vice chairman of the CMC, delivering a plans to build another aircraft carrier, but speech, the People’s Liberation Army plans for a fifth have been put on hold for (PLA) Daily reported on Tuesday. now, according to military insiders. They 20 Volume 11, Number 23 December 15, 2019

Reform of policies and institutions is an hostile aircraft and missiles, Tong important part of China’s military reform, Zhenrong, deputy captain of the and the new think tank will help the reform Shenzhen, said on CCTV on Sunday. to become more comprehensive, Li Joining military service as a fleet flagship Daguang, a professor at the National in 1998, the Shenzhen participated in Defense University of the PLA, told the many operations and visited many Global Times on Tuesday. Li pointed out countries, making it a star in naval that having experts within the military in diplomacy, China Youth Daily reported, the think tank is natural since they are the noting that the warship undertook the refit ones who truly understand whether the in 2017 that saw its capabilities reform is working, but appointing civilian significantly upgraded, allowing it to experts is a measure that can provide new become a guided missile destroyer with the and constructive perspectives. capability to command a joint operation fleet. This capability allows the Shenzhen Under the reform, military policies and to integrate information gathered by every institutions should be adjusted in unit and distribute it to other units that accordance with the changing times as need it, Weihutang said. socialism with Chinese characteristics and national defense have entered a new era, http://eng.chinamil.com.cn/view/2019-11/28/ said defense ministry spokesperson Wu content_9685050.htm Qian at a November 2018 press conference, the Xinhua News Agency reported. The Biggest stellar-mass black hole system, which is scheduled to be completely discovered formed before 2022, will feature distinct guidance, full coverage, a rigorous structure Zhang Zhihao China Daily, November 29, and sound coordination, the spokesperson 2019 said. An international team of scientists led by https://www.defense-aerospace.com/articles-view/ China has discovered a king-size, stellar- release/3/207828/chinese-military-sets-up- think- mass black hole in Earth’s “cosmic tank-to-guide-reform.html backyard” containing the mass of 70 suns. It is the biggest known of its kind and Chinese warship showcases vertical roughly three times bigger than what launch missile system scientists previously thought was possible, researchers said. The black hole, named China Mail, November 28, 2019 LB-1, was found slowly devouring gas from a nearby star more than 13,800 light- After returning from a major refit, the years from Earth - relatively nearby, People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy considering the estimated 105,700 light- destroyer Shenzhen showcased its air year diameter of Earth’s galaxy. defense firepower by displaying its new missile vertical launch system on Monday. Scientists believed that stellar-mass black The Navy’s sole Type 051B destroyer has holes were created when massive stars gained very powerful combat capability died and collapsed, but current theoretical after the modernization, said Weihutang, a calculations show that no matter how big column on military affairs affiliated with the star initially was, the mass of the final China Central Television (CCTV) on black hole cannot exceed 25 solar masses Monday. if the star is rich in metals like the one discovered in the new research The Shenzhen is now equipped with a vertical launch system, which consists of four http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/global/2019-11/ sets of eight units, allowing it to host 32 ship- 29/content_37526501.htm to-air missiles that can shoot down incoming 21 Nuclear, Missile & Space Digest

China’s first electromagnetic thought it might be the final product of satellite bears fruitful results the Xingkong-2 project. One distinctive difference between the Xingkong-2 and Xinhua, November 30, 2019 the DF-17 is that the former has a fairing China’s first seismo-electromagnetic satellite and the latter does not, making the two Zhangheng 1 has obtained fruitful very different in appearance alone, electromagnetic data, according to the China analysts pointed out. They noted that the Aerospace Science and Technology time does not match either, as the Corporation (CASC). The satellite has Xingkong-2 was only tested in 2018 and enabled China to obtain a global is not likely to enter Chinese military geomagnetic map and an ionospheric map service as early as 2019. The CCTV with its own intellectual property rights. It program introduced two genres of has obtained information about global hypersonic aircraft: one is a glide-boost, ground artificial sources, magnetic storms meaning the aircraft is propelled into the and signals of earthquakes above 7 sky via a rocket and glides in the air using magnitude. shock waves generated by its own hypersonic flight, while the other is air- It also helps with understanding the breathing, meaning the aircraft uses a coupling mechanisms of the lithosphere, scramjet engine to provide thrust. atmosphere and ionosphere. Shen Xuhui, the chief scientist of the satellite, said China The DF-17 is said to be a glide-boost is expected to have three electromagnetic vehicle, but it is not known what type the satellites in orbit by 2022, offering support Xingkong-2 might be, other than it could for earthquake forecasting as well as space be different from the DF-17, although it weather monitoring and warning. was also propelled by a rocket, according Developed by DFH Satellite Co., Ltd. under to Ma. The US and Russia are striving to the CASC. develop hypersonic weapons with both glide- boost and air-breathing http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2019-11/30/ technologies, as the two have different c_138596011.htm strengths and shortcomings, a military expert who asked not to be named told DF-17 may not sole hypersonic the Global Times. China will not fall missile program: media behind and could develop multiple types of hypersonic weapons using different Liu Xuanzun Global Times, December 1, technologies in the future, the expert 2019 predicted.

The DF-17, China’s hypersonic missile that http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/ was first revealed at the National Day 1171896.shtml military parade on October 1, might not be the only hypersonic aircraft program China C. Pakistan possesses, a report by the state broadcaster suggested. Analysts stressed that China will Shaheen-I ballistic missile not fall behind in related technologies training launch successful compared with the US and Russia. “From Pakistan Today, November 18, 2019 the test subjects that were made available to the public, the Xingkong-2 (Starry Sky-2) Two days after India conducted the first might use a different flight pattern to the night trial of nuclear-capable ballistic DF-17,” said military expert Ma Jun on missile Agni-II, Pakistan on Monday Military Time, a China Central Television conducted a successful training launch of (CCTV) program on military affairs, on Shaheen-I, a surface-to-surface ballistic Saturday, without further elaboration. missile.

When the DF-17 missile made its debut at According to an Inter-Services Public the National Day parade this year, some Relations (ISPR) press release, the launch 22 Volume 11, Number 23 December 15, 2019

was conducted as part of a training exercise retaliatory action’ from Indian side,” Dr. “aimed at testing the operational readiness Kumar said obviously referring to India’s of Army Strategic Forces Command”. belligerent neighbour Pakistan.

Shaheen-I is a short-range solid-propellant https://www.dailyexcelsior.com/paks-nuke- ballistic missile with a range of 650km (404 threat-is-to-avoid-bashing-in-war/ miles) which has been in the national arsenal since 2003. It can carry either a conventional IOR stands as a potential nuclear or a nuclear warhead and usually uses a flashpoint mobile launcher as a platform. M Waqas Jan, Pakistan Observer, https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2019/11/18/ November 19, 2019 shaheen-i-ballistic-missile-training-launch- successful-ispr/ This year has seen tension between nuclear armed Pakistan and India reach ‘Pak’s nuke threat is to avoid unprecedented levels with both countries flirting with a dangerous escalation spiral. bashing in war’ February’s aerial engagement between the Sanjeev k. Sharma, Daily Excelsior, two countries’ air forces, sustained November 18, 2019 exchanges of small arms and artillery fire over the LOC, as well as the ongoing Pakistan’s bid to counter every Indian curfew and communications blackout warning, by the rhetoric of nuke use against (now over 100th days) have all left many us, in response to India’ s constant thrust to contemplate the long-term on it to end support to terrorism, have lost consequences of these altercations on the its relevance and significance. These were stability and overall security of the entire the views expressed by former Defence South Asian region. Research and Development Organization (DRDO) Director General, Dr. Sudershan These include consequences leading to as Kumar in an exclusive interaction with the far as the Indian Ocean region (IOR), Excelsior. which despite being more than 1300kms away from the LoC, remains witness to a “Using the pretext that both India and series of dangerous developments, Pakistan are nuclear powers to avoid especially within context of the current bashings in war and in the guise of this scenario. For instance, India’s recently inflicting bloodshed in India through planned test of its K4 Submarine terrorists has become a habit of Pak Launched Ballistic Missile (SLBM) leadership,” he said. Presently a Defence represents a key part of India’s long-held Analyst, Dr. Kumar said, “It was only in desires of developing a robust second- World War-II when the atom bomb was strike capability. While the test itself is used but afterwards no country of the world meant to signal a major tipping point has found it as a viable option against within the overall strategic balance of the adversary.” region, the worsening situation in Kashmir carries the risk of unnecessarily It is pertinent to mention here that in World heightening tension at a time when the War-II two nuclear weapons were regional situation is already quite complex. detonated over Japanese cities Hiroshima This is largely because the K4 with its and Nagasaki which brought an abrupt end purported range of 3500 kms is capable of to the war. targeting most of mainland China in “If the insane leadership ever decided this addition to Pakistan from the relatively option against India, it will have to pay a safer distance of India’s coastal waters. Its heavy cost which it will not be able to value as a strategic deterrent is evident withstand because of the ‘aggressive from its planned deployment on India’s 23 Nuclear, Missile & Space Digest

nascent fleet of nuclear-powered ballistic Federal govt launches programme missile submarines (SSBNs). These include for business community the INS Arihant and the recently commissioned INS Arighant for which the Mehtab Haider, The News International, K4 has been designed to spec. With the November 23, 2019 Indian navy planning to induct even more Federal Government has launched first SSBNS over the next decade, there are soon trade facilitation programme of its kind likely to be dozens of K4 missiles deployed under the name and banner of on these subs, which themselves are likely “Authorised Economic Operators” to remain scattered across the IOR. (AEOs). The programme has been chalked out in line with best international practices While the planned deployment of these and in accordance with WCO security missiles was to supposedly herald India’s standards. Under the said programme, the coming of age as a major global power, the current context in which these actions are government will certify trustworthy business entities which could demonstrate being taken presents a troubling scenario. that they are credible, secure and have a Particularly keeping in mind the apparent clean history of compliance with national shifts in India’s nuclear doctrinal and policy framework, the very thought of such nuclear laws and, in return, a policy of maximum facilitation will be adopted by all weapons being readily deployed across the government departments towards such Indian Ocean represents a major cause for trusted entities so that they could concern the world over. Unlike India’s land- concentrate on the growth of their based nuclear arsenal where its nuclear businesses. warheads are largely demated from the several delivery systems available to its The representatives from government military, India’s seabased nuclear arsenal is departments i.e., Ministry of Foreign likely to be deployed at a much more Affairs, Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF), heightened state of alert. As a result, it is Engineering Development Board (EDB), also likely to be subject to an altered or more Ministry of Industries, Home Department sophisticated command and control Sind & KP, Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory structure which in itself requires seamless Authority, Pakistan Quality Standards & communications not only between the Quality Certification Authority (PSQCA), Indian State and military but also within the Climate Change and PEMRA appreciated many arms of the Indian military itself. Such the AEO initiative and agreed that it was integration is further conditional on India the first initiative of its kind which aims at acquiring highly robust intelligence, recognition of trusted business partners at surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) federal government level and entails capabilities that leave absolutely no margin benefits from all government departments. for error considering the immense risks at Such unique initiative, the participants stake in one of the world’s most volatile added, has great potential to boost regions. businesses which are the backbone of Add to that the Indian government’s now national economy. Chairman FBR briefed the participants that initially, AEO institutionalized approach to nuclear Programme will be implemented on brinkmanship and its steady revocation of export stage that will not only boost its ‘No First Use’ policy, there exists a highly dangerous mix of hubris and recklessness national exports, but will also play vital role in jobs creation. Subsequently, ambit where the entire human race risks being of AEO Programme will be extended to annihilated from even the smallest of other sectors of the economy for maximum missteps. facilitation and priority treatment by all https://pakobserver.net/ior-stands-as-a-potential- government departments. nuclear-flashpoint-2/ https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/572933- federal-govt-launches-programme-for-business- community 24 Volume 11, Number 23 December 15, 2019

D. USA “The right amount of uranium enrichment for the world’s largest state sponsor of Conference: Advancing the rebirth terror is zero ... There is no legitimate of nuclear power reason for Iran to resume enrichment at this previously clandestine site,” U.S. World Nuclear News, November 16, 2019 Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told Innovation has always been at the heart of reporters. the nuclear power industry and its future depends on this commitment to The U.N. atomic watchdog and Iran itself technological advancement in both large and said this month Tehran is again enriching small reactor designs. This was the message uranium at the sensitive site, which Iran of the International Framework for Nuclear hid from U.N. non-proliferation inspectors Energy Cooperation (IFNEC) General until its exposure in 2009. [nL8N27R5MN] Ministerial Conference held in Washington While European countries have tried to DC last week. Titled ‘Bringing the world salvage the 2015 nuclear nonproliferation SMRs and advanced nuclear’, the event agreement, Iran has increasingly included a session at the White House, in distanced itself from the accord since the the Eisenhower Executive Office Building. United States withdrew last year. US Secretary of Energy Rick Perry reminded https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-iran/u- delegates of the former US president’s s-to-no-longer-waive-sanctions-on-iranian- ‘Atoms for Peace’ address to the United nuclear-site-idUSKBN1XS2DG Nations in 1953, which had called for the expansion of nuclear power to enable world- Framatome implements cavitation wide prosperity. Sadly, that ambition still has relevance today, Perry said. peening at Millstone World Nuclear News, November 19, 2019 “If we look at a satellite image of the globe, we see vast tracts of land that are shrouded Framatome earlier this year applied its in darkness. Those images reveal a stark ultra-high pressure (UHP) cavitation reality: More than a billion people are peening process on reactor vessel primary completely without electricity; they are nozzles at Dominion Energy’s Millstone trapped in energy poverty.” To pursue a nuclear power plant in Waterford, ‘renewables-only’ approach to climate Connecticut. This marked the first change and sustainable development would underwater application of this “lock them into that state maybe for ever”, maintenance technique on reactor he said. “What the world needs is 24/7 pressure vessel nozzles to primary pipe energy, energy that is on-site, energy that welds. can be stockpiled, energy that powers the grid of nations regardless of the weather.” Reactor vessel head nozzle penetrations, bottom mounted nozzle instrumentation https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/ penetrations, and reactor vessel primary Conference-Advancing-the-rebirth-of-nuclear- nozzles - comprised of Alloy 600 welded power with Alloy 82/182 - are highly susceptible to primary water stress corrosion cracking U.S. to no longer waive sanctions on (PWSCC). Iranian nuclear site Framatome’s UHP cavitation peening Daphne Psaledakis, Reuters, November 19, process uses submerged, ultra-high- 2019 pressure water jets to work the surface of reactor vessel components. The high- The United States said on Monday it will no pressure water flow creates vapour longer waive sanctions related to Iran’s bubbles. As these vapour bubbles collapse Fordow nuclear plant after Tehran resumed on the component’s surface, shock waves uranium enrichment at the underground travel into the material and create site. 25 Nuclear, Missile & Space Digest

compressive residual stresses. Rather than 2014 - Exelon paid EDF USD400 million allowing operational stresses to create in dividends and EDF had a put option to multiple, random fractures on a sell its CENG shares to Exelon between component’s surface, cavitation peening 2016 and 2022. EDF has today notified creates compressive stresses on the surface Exelon of the exercise of that option. of the material in a controlled manner, preventing PWSCC initiation. “The transaction price will follow from the determination of the fair market value of https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/ CENG shares pursuant to the contractual Framatome-implements-cavitation-peening-at- provisions of the put option agreement,” Millsto EDF said, noting that closing of the transaction is conditional upon regulatory U.S. aircraft carrier strike group approvals. The disposal of CENG shares sails through Strait of Hormuz is part of the disposal plan of non-core assets announced by EDF Group, it added. Idrees Al, Reuters, November 19, 2019 The plants concerned are the single-unit The U.S. aircraft carrier strike group R E Ginna plant, Nine Mile Point units 1 Abraham Lincoln sailed through the vital and 2, and Calvert Cliffs units 1 and 2. In Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, U.S. officials November 2009, EDF and Constellation told Reuters, amid simmering tensions Energy established Constellation Energy between Iran and the United States. Nuclear Group, in which EDF and Tensions in the Gulf have risen since attacks Constellation owned stakes of 49.99% and on oil tankers this summer, including off the 50.01% respectively. coast of the United Arab Emirates, and a https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/ major assault on energy facilities in Saudi EDF-to-sell-its-stake-in-US-joint-venture Arabia. Washington has blamed Iran, which has denied being behind the attacks on global OECD/NEA highlights challenges energy infrastructure. facing isotope supply chain The commander overseeing U.S. naval forces World Nuclear News, November 20, 2019 in the Middle East told Reuters in May that he would send an aircraft carrier through The structure of the medical radioisotope the Strait of Hormuz if needed. supply chain is impeding the provision of technetium-99m (Tc-99m), a new report https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-military- by an OECD Nuclear Energy Agency carrier-iran/u-s-aircraft-carrier-strike-group-sails- (NEA) high-level group has found. through-strait-of-hormuz-idUSKBN1XT2EG Supplies of the world’s most widely used medical radioisotope remain fragile. EDF plans to sell stake in US joint venture No medical radioisotope is more important than Tc-99m, NEA Director World Nuclear News, November 20, 2019 General William Magwood said at the France’s EDF said today it will exercise an launch of The Supply of Medical option to sell its 49.99% stake in Radioisotopes: An Economic Diagnosis Constellation Energy Nuclear Group and Possible Solutions on 18 November. (CENG), its joint venture with US utility The radioisotope is used some 30 million Exelon. CENG owns five nuclear power times each year around the world to reactors at three sites in the USA. diagnose cancer and other diseases, he said. However the properties of Tc-99m In July 2013, EDF and Exelon agreed to mean its supply chain is complicated and transfer the operating licences of the reactors the isotope - and the molybdenum-99 (Mo- owned by CENG to Exelon. Under the terms 99) used to generate it in hospitals - cannot of the agreement - announced on 1 April be stored. 26 Volume 11, Number 23 December 15, 2019

Operation of the research reactors in which US legislature considers waste radioisotopes are produced is generally management reforms subsidised by the governments of the countries where they are based. World Nuclear News, November 21, 2019

“As commercial companies come into this Draft legislation to update the US market they are finding it very difficult to Department of Energy’s (DOE) ability to make a profit and be successful, and to manage nuclear waste - passed by the sustain operation, under the current House Energy and Commerce Committee circumstances,” Magwood said. “In order yesterday - would allow DOE to build and to make sure there is a stable supply, we operate interim storage sites to consolidate have to ensure there is a stable market.” used fuel from decommissioned reactors. Similar draft legislation has now been https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/ introduced in the US Senate. NEA-publishes-isotope-supply-chain-report The two versions of the draft MOX Services gets settlement deal legislation, HR 2699 and S 2197, which are both titled the Nuclear Waste Policy for shuttered facility at Savannah Amendments Act of 2019, seek to amend River a 1982 act, under which the federal World Nuclear News, November 20, 2019 government - through the DOE - is responsible for all civil used nuclear fuel The Department of Energy’s National and its removal for disposal in a federal Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) facility. has reached a settlement agreement with MOX Services and its parent companies to HR 2699 would prioritise the transfer of resolve all contract closeout matters used fuel from seismically active areas, and pertaining to the Mixed Oxide Fuel permit DOE to undertake infrastructure Fabrication Facility (MFFF) project at the activities to support the construction and Savannah River Site in Aiken, South operation of a repository at Yucca Carolina. Mountain. The bill also includes reforms to the finance mechanism of the Nuclear The agreement, announced yesterday, Waste Fund and assures that DOE has resolves all contract litigation and covers the adequate funding to construct and operate cost of contract closeout. If it had continued, a repository. NNSA said the MFFF project would not have been completed until 2048, at a cost of https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/ USD17 billion. US-legislature-considers-waste-management- reforms Lisa Gordon-Hagerty, DOE under-secretary for nuclear security and NNSA EDF Will Bail on Three Nuclear administrator, said the agreement allows NNSA to move forward with its plan to Plants, Exelon Holds the Bag repurpose MOX for plutonium pit Aaron Larson, Power Mag, November 21, production, while it remains committed to 2019 removing surplus plutonium from South Carolina “using the proven dilute and Exelon Generation said EDF Group—a dispose method”. French integrated electricity company—is exercising a put option to sell its 49.99% https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/ interest in the R.E. Ginna, Nine Mile Point, MOX-Services-gets-settlement-deal-for-shuttered- and Calvert Cliffs nuclear energy facilities. fa The two companies will now begin 27 Nuclear, Missile & Space Digest

negotiations for Exelon to acquire full Oak Ridge National Laboratory as a DOE ownership of the plants. contractor under Atkins Nuclear Secured. Under the new agreement, which was EDF’s involvement in the facilities was signed at a ceremony on 22 November, through the Constellation Energy Nuclear Isotek will extract thorium-229 (Th-229) Group (CENG), a joint venture between it from the U-233, which TerraPower will and Constellation Energy, which was then use for the production of Ac-225. This negotiated in 2009. Exelon acquired its arrangement will give TerraPower the majority stake in the plants as part of a capacity to produce 100 times more cancer merger with Constellation Energy, a deal treatment doses per year of Ac-225 than that closed in March 2012. the 4000 doses currently available, the partners said. Ac-225, a short-lived alpha- EDF said the disposal of CENG shares is part emitting isotope that can be used in a form of a previously announced non-core-asset of treatment known as targeted alpha disposal plan. The put option could have therapy, has previously been described as been exercised by EDF anytime between Jan. one of the world’s rarest medical 1, 2016, and June 30, 2022. A transaction radioisotopes. price will follow from the determination of the fair market value of CENG shares Jay Mullis, manager of DOE’s Oak Ridge pursuant to the contractual provisions of the Office of Environmental Management, put option agreement, EDF said. said the partnership was a “success” for all involved. “Through Isotek’s innovative “Since Exelon Generation took over approach, we are able to accelerate one of operations, we have created value for both our highest priority projects, spend less Exelon and EDF by integrating the three taxpayer dollars to complete the project, plants into the nation’s largest and best-run and provide material that will greatly nuclear fleet. Leveraging the Exelon benefit the public in the future,” he said. management model, we’ve improved overall fleet performance and efficiency while https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/ reducing costs in a challenging market Partnership-to-produce-medical-isotope-from- environment,” Chris Crane, Exelon legacy president and CEO, said in a statement. “We have worked collaboratively with EDF Bulgaria and USA to explore leadership as co-owners of these three nuclear energy cooperation nuclear plants and look forward to partnering with them in a productive World Nuclear News, November 26, 2019 process to purchase their ownership stake.” The USA intends to send a technical team https://www.powermag.com/edf-will-bail-on- to Bulgaria to explore the possibilities for three-nuclear-plants-exelon-holds-the-bag/ further cooperation in different areas of energy, including nuclear, President Partnership to produce medical Donald Trump said yesterday in a joint isotope from legacy waste statement issued with Prime Minister Boyko Borissov of Bulgaria. The two World Nuclear News, November 25, 2019 leaders also expressed support for the licensing and use of US nuclear fuel for Isotek Systems, TerraPower and the US Bulgaria’s Kozloduy nuclear power plant. Department of Energy (DOE) have signed a public-private partnership agreement to use They set out a number of measures material recovered from a legacy uranium- intended to strengthen the strategic 233 (U-233) inventory to increase the supply partnership between the two countries, of the medical radioisotope actinium-225 following their meeting at the White (Ac-225). House.

Isotek is responsible for the removal of the “The United States and Bulgaria inventory of U-233 currently stored at the understand that energy security is national 28 Volume 11, Number 23 December 15, 2019

security. We underline our common Nash has provided consulting services to understanding that the diversification of the UK government and the operators of energy sources is a guarantee of energy the country’s current fleet of 14 advanced security, independence, and competitiveness gas-cooled reactors (AGRs), which use for our economies,” they said. graphite moderators. Terrestrial Energy said it would draw on this “world-leading https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/ graphite knowledge and nuclear Bulgaria-and-USA-to-explore-nuclear-energy- engineering experience” as it proceeds coopera with engineering programmes for deployment of the first IMSR plant. U.S. assures banks on dollar “Graphite moderator engineering for dealings with China’s COSCO hit fabrication is a key element in our IMSR by Iran sanctions development programme,” Terrestrial Energy CEO Simon Irish said. Timothy Gardner, Reuters, November 28, 2019 The UK has operated graphite-moderated The Trump administration assured U.S. nuclear reactors - Magnox and AGRs - for electricity generation since 1956, during banks on Wednesday that they can which extensive studies on the temporarily process U.S. dollar transactions on a Dalian unit of China’s biggest shipping performance of reactor graphite have been company COSCO that Washington had counducted, the companies said. imposed sanctions on over suspicions it https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/ transported oil from Iran. Frazer-Nash-to-support-IMSR-graphite- moderator-fab The United States’ sanctions on Sept. 25 pushed global freight costs to record highs and added millions of dollars in costs to E. Europe many voyages. France regrets U.S. decision on David Peyman, a U.S. State Department Fordow, rebukes Iran official on sanctions, said this month that Reuters, November 19, 2019 the ships were the “key artery” for evading U.S. sanctions on Iran’s oil exports and that if the behavior did not change the France lamented on Tuesday a U.S. administration would look to aggressively decision to end a sanctions waiver related and fully enforce U.S. sanctions. to Iran’s Fordow nuclear facility, but also said it feared Tehran’s latest violations of https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-iran- a 2015 deal could lead to serious nuclear china-tankers/u-s-assures-banks-on-dollar- proliferation. “We regret the decision of dealings-with-chinas-cosco-hit-by-iran-sanctions- the United States, following Iran’s idUSKBN1Y12B5 resumption of enrichment on the Fordow site, to terminate an exemption that would Frazer-Nash to support IMSR facilitate the conduct of civilian projects graphite moderator fabrication on this site,” foreign ministry World Nuclear News, November 28, 2019 spokeswoman Agnes von der Muhll told reporters in an online briefing. Frazer-Nash is to provide engineering services related to the fabrication of the The Trump administration, which last year graphite moderator for Terrestrial Energy’s pulled out of the Iran nuclear deal and re- Integrated Molten Salt Reactor (IMSR) imposed sanctions on Tehran, had until under a newly announced contract between Monday let the work go forward at the the two companies. Fordow fuel enrichment plant by issuing waivers to sanctions that bar non-U.S. UK- and Australia-based systems and firms from dealing with the Atomic Energy engineering technology company Frazer- Organization of Iran (AEOI). The U.N. 29 Nuclear, Missile & Space Digest

atomic watchdog and Iran itself said this sources with knowledge of the matter month Tehran is again enriching uranium who wanted to remain unidentified. at the sensitive site, which Iran hid from U.N. non-proliferation inspectors until its The EU review was confirmed by an EU exposure in 2009. official requesting anonymity, as well as several Hungarian government sources. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-iran-nuclear- Eight sources, including high-ranking france/france-regrets-u-s-decision-on-fordow- government officials, confirmed the plan. rebukes-iran-idUSKBN1XT2CE Hungary wants to expand its 2-gigawatt Paks nuclear power plant with two Hungary aims to reach NATO Russian-made VVER reactors, each with defense spending goal in 2023 a capacity of 1.2 gigawatts. The project, awarded in 2014 without a tender to Robin Emmott, Reuters, November 21, 2019 nuclear giant Rosatom, an arm of the Hungary hopes to reach a NATO defense Russian government, is often cited as a spending target in 2023, a year ahead of the sign of exceptionally warm ties between deadline agreed by allies who are facing Hungarian premier Viktor Orban and strong pressure from U.S. President Donald Russian President Vladimir Putin, a Trump to invest more in European security. connection that has unnerved Western Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto allies. told Reuters that Budapest would spend 2% https://www.reuters.com/article/us-hungary- of economic output on its military ahead of nuclearpower-exclusive/exclusive-hungary- the NATO target date of 2024, up from less makes-eu-bid-to-soften-nuclear-licensing-rules- than 1% just a few years ago, buying to-ease-paks-expansion-idUSKBN1Y01WQ weaponry and equipment from Turkey, France, Germany and the Czech Republic. France warns Iran over nuclear “I really understood the position of President deal dispute mechanism Trump because he wanted Europeans to John Irish, Reuters, November 28, 2019 spend more, to put more emphasis on their security,” Szijjarto said in the margins of a France’s foreign minister suggested on NATO foreign ministers meeting. “We have Wednesday that Paris was seriously been implementing a very significant and considering triggering a mechanism robust modernization strategy of our armed within the Iran nuclear deal that could lead forces, which will last until 2026. We will to U.N. sanctions, given Tehran’s repeated hit the 2% (level) in 2023,” he said. breach of parts of the 2015 accord with world powers. “Every two months, there https://www.reuters.com/article/us-hungary-nato/ is another dent (in the deal by Iran) to the hungary-aims-to-reach-nato-defense-spending- point where today we ask ourselves, and goal-in-2023-idUSKBN1XU2HF I’m saying this very clearly, about the implementation of the dispute resolution Exclusive: Hungary makes EU bid to mechanism that exists in the deal,” Jean- soften nuclear licensing rules to Yves Le Drian told a parliamentary ease Paks expansion hearing. Marton Dunai, Reuters, November 26, 2019 Britain, France and Germany have sought to salvage the pact, under which Iran Hungary has submitted draft legislation to undertook to curtail its uranium the European Commission to amend the enrichment program in return for relief country’s nuclear safety protocols to from sanctions crippling its economy, since custom-fit a 12 billion euro Russian-led the United States withdrew last year. nuclear plant expansion project that it wants to speed up, eight sources told Reuters. The https://www.reuters.com/article/us-iran- draft legislation was detailed to Reuters by nuclear-france/france-warns-iran-over-nuclear- the Hungarian Atomic Energy Agency deal-dispute-mechanism-idUSKBN1Y12AI (HAEA), and corroborated by several 30 Volume 11, Number 23 December 15, 2019

France’s Macron denies accepting deal between Iran and the P5+1 group— Putin’s missile proposal the United States, the UK, France, Russia and China, plus Germany—lifted nuclear- Reuters, November 28, 2019 related sanctions against Iran, which French President Emmanuel Macron on voluntarily curbed some aspects of its Thursday denied having accepted a Russian nuclear energy program. proposal to impose a moratorium on missile https://financialtribune.com/articles/national/ deployments in Europe, but said it was 100973/nuclear-deal-requires-more-european- important the Kremlin initiative not be efforts-to-survive simply dismissed. Russia has called on the United States and other countries to declare European countries join INSTEX a moratorium on the deployment of short- exchange to preserve Iran nuclear and intermediate-range nuclear missiles in Europe after a treaty banning such a move deal formally ended in August. Zane Wolfang, Reuters, November 30, 2019 Macron, who met transatlantic alliance NATO’s Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg Six major European countries announced in Paris for talks on Thursday, said France on Friday that they would join a special had “absolutely not accepted” the proposal, trade exchange designed to alleviate the as suggested in leaks in the German press impact of the US sanctions on Iran. earlier this week. Belgium, Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden will all https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-russia- join INSTEX, a trade mechanism that missiles-france/frances-macron-denies-accepting- allows Iranian and European companies putins-missile-proposal-idUSKBN1Y21E4 to circumvent severe US sanctions against Iran. The six European countries made a Nuclear Deal Requires More joint statement announcing their decision European Efforts to Survive to become shareholders in the exchange and stressed their commitment to the Joint Financial Tribune, November 28, 2019 Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Asenior Iranian diplomat said the 2015 the nuclear nonproliferation agreement nuclear deal with major powers is under reached with Iran in 2015. The statement “intensive care”, requiring the European comes ahead of talks between all parties signatories to the deal to intensify efforts to of the JCPOA, due to be held in Vienna save the accord. Talking to the Dutch NRC next Wednesday. website, Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs Abbas Araqchi said Iran has The JCPOA was originally brokered by US done its part as per the agreement, officially president Barack Obama, and signed by known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Iran, China, France, Germany, Russia, Action. “Now, it is the other JCPOA parties’ UK, US, Germany, and the EU. The deal turn to do the same. We accepted to limit demanded that Iran make major our nuclear program [under the deal], but concessions in its nuclear enrichment were made a target of the United States’ program, forfeit a stockpile of highly maximum pressure [campaign] in return. enriched uranium and allow International Under such circumstances, JCPOA’s other Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors partners are bound to think up practical unprecedented access to its nuclear approaches to extricate Iran from the facilities to ensure compliance. In sanctions,” he said. exchange, Iran was offered relief for longstanding economic sanctions and the “European countries claim they seek to save ability to trade with the rest of the the agreement, but so far, they have actually international community. shown that they are either incapable or reluctant to resist the US dominance over https://www.rudaw.net/english/middleeast/iran/ Europe’s financial system to protect it.” The 30112019 31 Nuclear, Missile & Space Digest

Germany is closing all its nuclear deal’s formal name, the Joint power plants. Now it must find a Comprehensive Plan of Action. place to bury the deadly waste for 1 As evidence for their efforts, the three million years countries cited the decision by six Sheena McKenzie, CNN, November 30, 2019 European Union states to join their financial system to facilitate trade with Germany decided to phase out all its nuclear Iran in the face of sweeping sanctions that power plants in the wake of the Fukushima the United States reimposed on Tehran disaster in 2011, amid increasing safety after unilaterally exiting the agreement last concerns. The seven power stations still in year. Their mechanism, known as INSTEX operation today are due to close by 2022. (Instrument in Support of Trade With their closure comes a new challenge Exchanges), is among Europe’s solutions — finding a permanent nuclear graveyard to salvage the deal by protecting Iranian by the government’s 2031 deadline. interests. It was established by France, Germany’s Ministry for Economic Affairs Germany and Britain in January 2019 and and Energy says it aims to find a final aims to keep the country’s trade afloat by repository for highly radioactive waste circumventing US sanctions through a “which offers the best possible safety and non-dollar system. However, it has not yet security for a period of a million years.” practically mitigated Iran’s economic situation. Where do you safely bury more than 28,000 cubic meters — roughly six Big Ben clock https://financialtribune.com/articles/national/ towers — of deadly radioactive waste for 101001/eu-committed-to-finding-diplomatic- the next million years? This is the “wicked resolution-to-nuclear-dispute problem” facing Germany as it closes all of its nuclear power plants in the coming years, F. Russia according to Professor Miranda Schreurs, part of the team searching for a storage site. Russia ponders a floating nuclear Experts are now hunting for somewhere to plant for India bury almost 2,000 containers of high-level Charles Digges, Bellona, November 18, radioactive waste. The site must be beyond 2019 rock-solid, with no groundwater or earthquakes that could cause a leakage. Rosatom, Russia’s nuclear corporation, has publicly expressed interest in jointly https://edition.cnn.com/2019/11/30/europe/ developing a floating nuclear power plant germany-nuclear-waste-grm-intl/index.html with India, alongside other small and medium sized reactors, The Times of India EU Committed to Finding has reported. Diplomatic Resolution to Nuclear Dispute Nikita Mazein, vice president of Rusatom Overseas, Rosatom’s international branch, Financial Tribune, December 1, 2019 told a nuclear conference in New Delhi earlier this month that remote coastal areas The three European parties to the 2015 of South Asia could be served by small- nuclear deal have reaffirmed their scale reactors like the ones Rosatom is commitment to pursue efforts for a currently developing, as well as by a diplomatic resolution to ensure the full floating nuclear plant. implementation of the accord by all parties. In a statement published by the British The 140-meter floating plant, which was government’s website, France, Britain and more than a decade in the making, is Germany said, “We remain fully committed equipped with two KLT-40 reactors that to pursuing our efforts toward a diplomatic provide a combined 70 megawatts of resolution within the framework of power. The operational staff of about 70 JCPOA.” They used the abbreviation of the 32 Volume 11, Number 23 December 15, 2019

can also make use of the plant’s gym, Russia condemns U.S. decision to swimming pool and bar. end sanctions waiver on Iran’s Rosatom has estimated that the Akademik Fordow Lomonosov can power a city of 100,000 Reuters, November 19, 2019 residents. Pevek’s population, however, is a mere 4,700, so the bulk of the plant’s Russia strongly condemns the U.S. decision electricity will power local mining to drop a sanctions waiver related to Iran’s operations and offshore oil drilling rigs. It Fordow nuclear facility and believes the can operate for 12 years before it needs to decision violates U.S. international be refueled. commitments, Russia’s foreign ministry said in a statement on Tuesday. The company has billed the plant, which is the only one of its kind currently operating Moscow is continuing its close cooperation in the world, as a prototype for future with Iran on the Fordow reconfiguration, floating plants, though has admitted that the it said. The United States said on Monday cost of the Akademik Lomomosov was it will no longer waive sanctions related prohibitive for serial production. to Iran’s Fordow nuclear plant after Tehran resumed uranium enrichment at https://bellona.org/news/nuclear-issues/2019-11- the underground site. russia-ponders-a-floating-nuclear-plant-for-india https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-iran- Moscow condemns US plans to end russia/russia-condemns-u-s-decision-to-end- sanctions-waiver-on-irans-fordow- sanctions waiver over Iran’s Fordow idUSKBN1XT28J nuclear site Russian Times, November 19, 2019 Putin Says ‘Unparalleled’ Weapons Tested at Deadly The Russian Foreign Ministry on Tuesday Nuclear Accident Site resolutely condemned the statement of Secretary of State Mike Pompeo the previous The Moscow Times, November 22, 2019 day that the US is terminating the sanctions waiver related to Iran’s Fordow nuclear President Vladimir Putin said Thursday plant. ”There is no legitimate reason for Iran that the scientists killed in a mysterious to resume enrichment at this previously nuclear explosion in northwestern Russia clandestine site,” Pompeo said. this summer had been testing an “unparalleled” weapon. Washington’s intentions are a blatant violation of international obligations, the A liquid propulsion system blast on Aug. Russian ministry said. Taking into account 8 at a naval missile test facility in the US statements, a substantial reaction Nyonoksa in Arkhangelsk region killed five from the Commission on the Joint people and led to a brief radiation spike Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) will nearby. Putin said at the time the accident be required, according to the statement. occurred during testing of what he called promising new weapons systems. Moscow hopes that European colleagues ”will find the strength to go “We’re talking about the most advanced beyond the duty regrets about the US actions and unparalleled technical ideas and and together with us and China to defend solutions, about weapons designed to the JCPOA,” the ministry said. It added that ensure Russia’s sovereignty and security the Fordow project, as well as others for decades to come,” Putin told the important elements of the Iran nuclear deal, victims’ relatives at a televised state awards should be protected ”from US sanctions ceremony in the Kremlin. attacks.” https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2019/11/22/ https://www.rt.com/newsline/473819-russia-us- putin-says-unparalleled-weapons-tested-at- deadly-nuclear-accident-site-a68274 iran-fordow/ 33 Nuclear, Missile & Space Digest

Rosatom Plans Multi-Billion-Dollar “Based on data received from the Global Expansion into Ocean Freight Environmental Monitoring System, there’s an increase in background radiation in the The Maritime Executive, November 22, 2019 South China Sea in connection with a Russian state nuclear power company radiation incident,” Rospotrebnadzor said Rosatom, the operator of Russia’s nuclear in an online statement. icebreaker fleet and the designated manager A website run by far-right U.S. talk show for the development of Russia’s Northern radio host Hal Turner claimed Wednesday Sea Route, is reportedly planning to plow that unidentified military sources had billions of dollars into a fleet of container allegedly detected an underwater nuclear ships in order to make Asia-to-Europe cargo explosion in the area that caused powerful runs through Arctic waters. shockwaves. The U.S. tech news website Unlike CMA CGM, Hapag-Lloyd, MSC, Gizmodo cited two scientists Nike, H&M and other Western companies who dismissed the report as fake. that have pledged to avoid the Northern Sea Gizmodo reported that uRADMonitor Route due to environmental concerns, Global Environmental Monitoring Rosatom is officially tasked with maximizing Network data used in the initial report the Arctic region’s economic potential. registered “negligible” radiation and noted Russian outlet Vedomosti reports that based that two other agencies in the region on information from sources close to the showed normal radiation readings. company, Rosatom plans to become a shipping giant: it wants to capture about https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2019/11/22/ seven percent of the containerized cargo that russian-watchdog-detects-radiation-incident-in- currently transits the Malacca-Suez- south-china-sea-a68287 Gibraltar route to and from Europe. Russia’s Avangard hypersonic The NSR would offer shippers a faster missile system to go on combat alternative to transport containerized goods between Asian and European markets - not alert in December — top brass as fast as air freight, nor as quick as the Silk TASS News Agency, November 26, 2019 Road rail line, but still considerably faster than the standard ocean freight route. Under Russia’s breakthrough Avangard missile legislation passed by the state Duma last system with the hypersonic boost-glide year, Rosatom has authority over shipping, vehicle will assume combat duty in access, security and infrastructure on the December this year, the Defense Ministry Northern Sea Route, with the Ministry of of Russia reported on Tuesday. Transport playing a subordinate role. “This missile system is set to go on combat https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/ alert in December 2019,” the ministry said rosatom-plans-multi-billion-dollar-expansion- in a statement. into-ocean-freight A source in the defense industry told TASS Russian Watchdog Detects on November 13 that the first two UR- 100N UTTKh intercontinental ballistic ‘Radiation Incident’ in South China missiles (ICBMs) outfitted with the Sea Avangard nuclear boost-glide vehicle The Moscow Times, November 22, 2019 would go on experimental combat duty in late November - early December in the The Russian government’s consumer Dombarovsky division of the Strategic protection watchdog Rospotrebnadzor said Missile Force. Friday it has detected a “radiation incident” in the South China Sea. As another source in the defense industry told TASS in October last year, two 34 Volume 11, Number 23 December 15, 2019

Avangard regiments with six silo-based U.S. arms inspectors had been shown the missiles each were due to assume combat Avangard system from Nov. 24-26 under duty in Russia. the auspices of the New START treaty, which came into effect in 2011. https://tass.com/defense/1092905 The treaty limits the number of strategic Russia Shows Off Hypersonic nuclear warheads the world’s two biggest Nuclear Missile to U.S. Inspectors nuclear powers can deploy to no more than The Moscow Times, November 26, 2019 1,550 each. Russia said it has showed its new hypersonic https://www.reuters.com/article/us-russia-usa- nuclear missile system to U.S. inspectors as missiles/russia-says-it-showed-hypersonic- part of a bilateral arms control treaty ahead nuclear-missile-system-to-u-s-inspectors- of the missile’s deployment, idUSKBN1Y01Z0 Interfax reported Tuesday. Russia urges U.S. to extend President Vladimir Putin said late last year nuclear pact due to expire in 2021 that Russia would be ready to deploy the Avangard missile system in one year’s time. Reuters, November 27, 2019 One of several new weapons announced in Russia has formally proposed to the United 2018, the Avangard was touted as a highly States that the two nuclear superpowers maneuverable weapon able to evade the extend their New START arms control United States’ missile defense systems. treaty by five years, though Moscow “The Russian side held a demonstration to would also settle for a shorter extension, a help ensure the viability and effectiveness senior Russian official said on Wednesday. of the [New] START Treaty,” the Russian The New START accord, which is due to military was quoted as saying, adding that expire in February 2021, is the last major it plans to put Avangard into combat duty nuclear arms control treaty between before the end of the year. Moscow and Washington. It limits the https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2019/11/26/ number of strategic nuclear warheads russia-shows-off-hypersonic-nuclear-missile-to-us- they can deploy to 1,550 each. inspectors-a68329 https://www.reuters.com/article/us-russia-usa- missiles/russia-urges-u-s-to-extend-nuclear- Russia says it showed hypersonic pact-due-to-expire-in-2021-idUSKBN1Y123W nuclear missile system to U.S. inspectors Kingdom in talks with Russia for Reuters, November 26, 2019 nuclear science Russia’s Ministry of Defence said on Tuesday Taing Vida, Khmer Times, November 27, 2019 it had shown the country’s new Avangard nuclear missile system to U.S. inspectors for Cambodian and Russian experts yesterday the first time, a move Moscow said showed concluded discussions on the possibility of a key arms control treaty was still effective. constructing and establishing a Nuclear Science and Technology Centre in the Russia is due to deploy next month the Kingdom. Avangard system, a hypersonic glide vehicle designed to sit atop an intercontinental The discussion, which was held in Siem ballistic missile, one of several new types of Reap province over two days, took place weapons touted by President Vladimir at the 3rd meeting of a Cambodia-Russia Putin as ahead of their time. joint working group on cooperation in the use of nuclear energy for peaceful The Defence Ministry said a group of visiting purposes. 35 Nuclear, Missile & Space Digest

The meeting was chaired by Sok Kean, an ascending into the night sky in a undersecretary of state at the Environment captivating video. Ministry, and Russian Ambassador Dmitry Tsvetkov. The test launch was performed from the Kapustin Yar military range in Russia’s https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50664303/ southern Astrakhan Region, the Defense kingdom-in-talks-with-russia-for-nuclear-science/ Ministry said, revealing little detail besides that the test warhead ”successfully hit its EBRD announces breakthrough in designated target” some 2,100km away at clean-up of Andreeva Bay the Sary-Shagan range in Kazakhstan. World Nuclear News, November 28, 2019 https://www.rt.com/russia/474600-topol- missile-test-video/ The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has announced the Moscow May Stop Using Nukes as retrieval of abandoned, highly radioactive used nuclear fuel assemblies from the bottom Deterrent Force, Commander of of Building 5 at Andreeva Bay in north- Russian Strategic Missile Forces western Russian. Following the successful Says operation, radiation levels at the facility have Sputnik, November 29, 2019 fallen by over 40%, enabling further decommissioning work and removing “one Earlier, Sergei Karakaev said that Russia’s of the most significant radiological risks to strategic missile forces have more than 200 the Barent Sea region”, the London- mobile and stationary missile systems. headquartered bank said. Speaking with the Russian Armed Forces’ official newspaper, Krasnaya Zvezda, The project is part of the EBRD-managed Karakaev said that Russia’s military is now NDEP Nuclear Window funding replacing the last missile systems that were programme to overcome the legacy of the made in the Soviet Union. former Soviet Northern Fleet. The fund is financed by contributions from Belgium, Commander of Russia’s Strategic Missile Canada, Denmark, the European Union, Forces Colonel-General Sergei Karakaev Finland, France, Germany, The Netherlands, said that Moscow could stop using nuclear Norway and the UK. weapons as a deterrent force in the future. Speaking to Krasnaya Zvezda newspaper, Simon Evans, EBRD associate director for Karakaev said that nuclear weapons could nuclear safety, said: “This is a major step also stop playing the most important role towards making Andreeva Bay in defending Russia from external threats. environmentally safe and secure and Russia’s strategic missile forces will remain testimony to what can be achieved through the guarantor of Russia’s security until international cooperation. This successful scientists come up with new type of operation follows other milestones, like the weapons or until the situation on the recent first shipment of spent nuclear fuel political arena changes. from the former service ship Lepse.” Previously, high-ranking Russian military https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/ officials and politicians, including EBRD-announces-breakthrough-in-clean-up-of- President Putin, have highlighted the Andreev importance of Russia’s nuclear triad. President Putin noted that the country’s Russian strategic nuclear forces strategic missile forces play a crucial role test-launch Topol ICBM in deterring aggressors and maintaining the balance of power on the international Russian Times, November 28, 2019 arena. The Russian military has test-fired a nuclear- capable RS-12M Topol, capturing a chilling https://sputniknews.com/military/ view of an intercontinental ballistic missile 201911291077437004-moscow-may-stop- 36 Volume 11, Number 23 December 15, 2019

using-nukes-as-deterrent-force-commander-of- problematic, it’s not going to be easy,” but russian-strategic-missile-forces-says/ when it comes to ensuring Israel’s security, he said he did not see any alternative. Russia tests hypersonic missile in Arctic - TASS cites sources Amidror said that, “there is a strong connection between a nuclear Iran and the Reuters, November 30, 2019 ring of fire around Israel. With a nuclear umbrella, Iran would be free to build a ring Russia’s MiG-31K interceptor jet carried out of fire around Israel” at which point, it a test of the Kinjal (Dagger) hypersonic would be too late for Jerusalem to stop missile in Russia’s part of Arctic earlier this either the nuclear program or Iran’s month, TASS new agency reported on destabilizing behavior in the region. Saturday, citing two military sources. https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Israel-will- The report came a day after Danish need-to-attack-Iran-to-block-nuke-umbrella- intelligence service warned of intensifying ring-of-fire-607533 geopolitical rivalry in the Earth’s freezing North, and said that China’s military was H. Saudi Arabia increasingly using scientific research in the Arctic as a way into the region. Saudi Arabia: Iran misusing “The tests took place in mid-November,” nuclear revenue to trigger unrest TASS quoted one of its sources as saying. in region

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-russia-arctic- Saudi Gazette, November 21, 2019 missiles/russia-tests-hypersonic-missile-in-arctic- Saudi Arabia has emphasized that Iran tass-cites-sources-idUSKBN1Y40BB has used its economic revenue from the nuclear deal to trigger unrest in the region. West Asia Addressing the session of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) here, G. Israel Prince Abdullah Bin Khalid, Saudi Ex-security chief: Israel needs to Arabia’s ambassador to Austria, said that attack Iran to stop nukes, ‘ring of Iran’s enrichment at Fordow reactor is a form of blackmail and a threat to the fire’ international community. Heading the Yonah Jeremy Bob, Jerusalem Post, November Saudi delegation to the IAEA meeting, 19, 2019 Prince Abdullah said that reports released by the IAEA on Iran’s violations of the Amidror said, “there might come a situation nuclear agreement in terms of enrichment where we will have to act directly in Iran to of uranium, the quantity produced from stop the Iranians. The world is not ready to it, the installation of advanced centrifuges, act…not NATO, not the US…they prefer to halting all its obligations with regard to close their eyes.” research and development, and its recent uranium enrichment at the Fordow Israel will likely need to attack Iran directly facility, amount to blackmailing of and to stop it from developing nuclear weapons threats to the international community. “It and a “ring of fire” around Israel, ex- also underlines the shortcomings of this national security council chief Maj. agreement, and reinforces doubts about Gen. Yaakov Amidror of the Jerusalem the intentions and peacefulness of Iran’s Institute for Strategy and Security (JISS) said nuclear program,” he said. Prince on Monday. Speaking at the INSS annual Abdullah considered that Iran has misused Arms Control conference in Tel Aviv, the economic return from the nuclear Amidror said, “there might come a situation agreement in provoking internal unrest in where we will have to act directly in Iran to neighboring countries, in light of its stop the Iranians. The world is not ready to insistence on the development of ballistic act. It might be costly, it might be 37 Nuclear, Missile & Space Digest

missiles, supporting terrorist groups in the I. Iran region, threatening international navigation and maritime straits and destabilizing the Reinvigorating Iran’s defense security and stability of the region in power best way to counter particular. sanctions: minister http://saudigazette.com.sa/article/583141/ Tehran Times, November 16, 2019 SAUDI-ARABIA/Saudi-Arabia-Iran-misusing- The Iranian defense minister announced nuclear-revenue-to-trigger-unrest-in-region on Saturday that the only way to counter the U.S. sanctions is to upgrade the Saudi Arabia decries Iran’s nuclear country’s competency regarding the entire breaches vital components, especially in military Saudi Gazette, November 26, 2019 sector. Addressing a professional meeting on reviewing ways to counter-sanctions The Council of Ministers has condemned on the country’s defense field, Brigadier Iran’s continued violations and breaches of General Amir Hatami said, “The U.S. will international conventions and treaties not narrow down sanctions (on Iran) due pertaining to its nuclear program. The to some reasons, so, the only way to face Cabinet session was chaired by Custodian such sanctions is to strengthen the of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman at country’s might in all vital arenas, Al-Yamamah Palace here on Tuesday. especially in defense sector.” “Today, the Minister of Media Turki Al-Shabanah told enemy has targeted our existence, so Saudi Press Agency (SPA) that the Cabinet beyond embarking on hitting Iran, they are welcomed the joint ministerial statement of resolved to eliminate us,” the minister the three European countries, which are opined. He further said that the hegemonic parties to the agreement and the system has now applied its entire ability representative of the European Union, as via using its agents to infiltrate into the well as the decision of the United States to country’s infrastructure as well as end the exemption of Iran’s Fordow nuclear cultural, political and economic programs plant from sanctions. The Cabinet stressed to access information to hit the country. the need for the international community to “Therefore, access to the information in take a firm position toward Iran’s violations wars and confrontations can be among which are undermining global peace and main elements in supremacy in battles,” security. Congratulating the Organization Hatami further explained. “Thank God, of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on the 50th the U.S-led hegemonic system’s plots anniversary of its foundation, the Cabinet against Iran have thus far been thwarted appreciated the pan-Islamic organization in various confrontations, but, (we must and its affiliated bodies and all their staff not ignore that) the enemy will not neglect for their efforts in serving and defending the any opportunity to harm our country,” the causes of the Islamic World and achieving brigadier general stressed. The United the overall objectives of enhancing States has slapped the harshest ever cooperation among the member states to sanctions against Iran in line with its become a model for joint Islamic action in “maximum pressure” strategy against various fields. Al-Shabanah said the Cabinet Iran. This happened after the Trump viewed that OIC, through its march all administration exited the 2015 nuclear through these years, has turned to be the agreement, officially called the JCPOA, in uniform voice of the Islamic World and May 2018 in violation of the resolution sought to protect the interests of the Islamic 2231 adopted by the UN Security Council World until it became the second-largest confirming the JCPOA. The U.S. has intergovernmental organization after the introduced a total ban on Iran’s oil export, United Nations. which is the main source of Iran’s income.

http://saudigazette.com.sa/article/583508/ https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/442050/ SAUDI-ARABIA/Saudi-Arabia-decries-Irans- Reinvigorating-Iran-s-defense-power-best-way- nuclear-breaches to-counter-sanctions 38 Volume 11, Number 23 December 15, 2019

‘Exiting JCPOA would punish Khamenei’s criticism of the 2015 nuclear Washington’ deal (JCPOA) has recently been published in Tehran. Entitled “I Told You Not to Tehran Times, November 16, 2019 Trust”, the book has been compiled by Abbasali Kadkhodaei, the spokesman for the Hossein Izadi at the Islamic Revolution Guardian Council, says pulling out of the Dialogue Study Office, and Shahid Kazmei 2015 nuclear pact would “punish” the Publications is the publisher of the United States. In an interview with The collection.The criticisms have been Associated Press on November 14, compiled from the speeches the Leader Kadkhodaei said the Islamic Republic delivered during the time when the deal should stop honoring all terms of the was in process. The book actually aims to collapsing 2015 nuclear deal with world document the file of Iran’s nuclear deal, powers amid tensions with the United and is a historiography of the nuclear deal States. in the Hassan Rouhani administration.

“I think those who disrupted the game https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/442090/ Book-recounting-Leader-s-criticism-of-JCPOA- should be punished since they damaged published other parties’ interests,” he asserted. U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew from the nuclear accord, officially known as the Iran urges intl. community to JCPOA, in May 2018, and imposed economic make U.S., Israel to agree to and financial sanctions against the Islamic nuclear free zone Middle East Republic. Tehran Times, November 19, 2019 Under the nuclear agreement, Tehran Majid Takht-Ravanchi, Iran’s ambassador undertook to put limits on its nuclear to the United Nations, said on Monday program in exchange for the removal of that the international community must economic and financial sanctions. Following compel the United States and the Zionist the U.S. withdrawal, Iran remained fully regime of Israel to fulfil their commitments committed to the JCPOA for a year, but in establishing a WMD-free zone in the announced on the anniversary of Middle East. Washington’s bellicose move that its “strategic patience” is over and would “The international community must make gradually reduce its commitments to the the United States and Israel behave deal at 60-day intervals, which were responsibly and fulfil nuclear designed as deadlines for Europe to protect commitments,” Takht-Ravanchi said in a Tehran’s interests under the deal. statement read at the Conference on the Establishment of a Middle East Zone Free So far, Iran has taken four steps in that of Nuclear Weapons and Other Weapons regard. In the first step, Iran removed cap of Mass Destruction. The conference, on its nuclear deal stockpile which was underway in New York, began on limited to 300 kilograms enriched to purity November 18 and will last until November of 3.67 percent. In the second step, which 22. started in July 7, Iran started enriching nuclear fuel to more than 3.67 percent. The president-designate of the first session is Ambassador Sima Bahous of Jordan. https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/442057/ Israel is the only country in the Middle East Exiting-JCPOA-would-punish-Washington which has nuclear weapons. Being supported by the United States, it has been Book recounting Leader’s criticism blocking all efforts by the United Nations of JCPOA published and the international community to make the region a WMD-free zone. Takht- Tehran Times, November 17, 2019 Ravanchi said that the main obstacles are A book recounting Leader of the Islamic the weapons of mass destruction held by Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Israel, which is supported by the U.S., and 39 Nuclear, Missile & Space Digest

the unwillingness of the U.S. to engage in Rouhani-JCPOA-collapse-will-harm-the-entire- the conference. world

https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/442155/Iran- Russia to continue cooperation urges-intl-community-to-make-U-S-Israel-to- agree-to-nuclear with Iran on Fordow reconfiguration Rouhani: JCPOA collapse will harm Tehran Times, November 20, 2019 the entire world The statement also strongly condemned Tehran Times, November 19, 2019 the United States’ decision to drop a sanctions waiver related to Iran’s Fordow Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on nuclear facility and believes the decision Tuesday called on the entire world nations violates U.S. international commitments. to pay due attention to key international U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo agreements, including the JCPOA whose announced on Monday that the U.S. will collapse he warned will harm the whole no longer waive sanctions related to the world. In a meeting with the newly- Fordow nuclear plant after Tehran appointed Australian Ambassador to resumed uranium enrichment at the site Tehran, Rouhani said, “The U.S. decision to more than a year after Washington reimpose illegal sanctions on Iran was a great withdrew from the 2015 nuclear political and economic mistake and in the agreement. meantime, it was against international resolutions and regulations.” “The right amount of uranium enrichment for the world’s largest state sponsor of By abandoning the 2015 nuclear agreement, terror is zero ... There is no legitimate officially called the JCPOA, the U.S. not only reason for Iran to resume enrichment at returned previous sanctions it also added this previously clandestine site,” Reuters new harsh ones. Under the JCPOA, Iran quoted Pompeo as saying. Earlier this agreed to curbs on its nuclear program in month, Iran started to inject uranium gas exchange for the termination of economic into centrifuges at Fordow under the and financial sanctions. supervision of inspectors from the UN Rouhani went on to say that Tehran will not nuclear watchdog, officially going on with allow the sanctions to block the way to the fourth step since it began responding expand its ties with the outside world. The to Washington’s abandonment of the president suggested that independent nuclear deal and an inaction by the countries should stand up against the U.S. remaining parties, including Europeans, to illegal measures and force the White House shield Iran from sanctions. officials to understand that everybody Iran took the first step to scale down should obey international law. nuclear commitments on May 8. The The United States violated UN Security other two steps were taken two months Council Resolution 2231 which endorsed the later each. In the first step, Iran removed nuclear deal. Rouhani said the U.S. has done cap on its stockpile of nuclear enrichment an unprecedented act in the history of the which had been limited to 300 kilograms. world by punishing those nations that have In the second, Iran started enriching complied with the UN resolution, uranium beyond 3.67 percent. And in the reiterating, “We must not let the U.S. be third, Iran removed ban on nuclear successful in face of international research and development. obligations.” “The U.S. must understand https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/442197/ that it is not the leader of the entire world, Russia-to-continue-cooperation-with-Iran-on- but only a country similar to others,” Fordow-reconfiguration Rouhani remarked.

https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/442165/ 40 Volume 11, Number 23 December 15, 2019

Russia says U.S. remains isolated at important diplomatic achievement and as IAEA meeting on Iran they call it one of the most important foundations of non-proliferation Tehran Times, November 22, 2019 architecture,” Gharibabadi said while Almost all parties are fully committed to the addressing the IAEA’s board of governors 2015 nuclear deal, formally known as the on Thursday, Mehr reported. JCPOA, and the U.S. remains isolated, Pointing to Iran’s reduction of its Ulyanov said in a tweet. “Debates on #Iran commitments to the nuclear agreement, in #IAEA Board of Governors today were also known as the Joint Comprehensive tough. 3 main observations: 1) many Plan of Action (JCPOA), in the past expressed disappointment at US policy on months, the envoy said the only way to #JCPOA, 2) even more speakers were keep the historic pact alive is that all sides concerned over reductions of Iranian live up to their commitments. “Europe commitments, 3)almost all are fully needs to define the U.S. destructive role committed to JCPOA. US remain isolated,” as the main reason for the current state of he tweeted. the affairs instead of criticizing Iran,” he In an exclusive interview with IRNA added. Gharibabadi also dismissed as published on Sunday, Ulyanov said Moscow “baseless” claims of nuclear proliferation is concerned about the fate of the nuclear by Western countries as Iran has removed deal. Ulyanov said the deal is very important some limits on nuclear energy program, and the parties have been working for more stressing that such baseless remarks will than 10 years to achieve it. not stop Iran from continuing its national plans. Iran has started to gradually reduce its commitments to the JCPOA in response to Iran still faithful to all its JCPOA the United States which abandoned the obligations, envoy tells IAEA landmark deal in May 2018 and reinstituted Tehran Times, November 22, 2019 sanctions. So far, the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) has taken four “Iran has shown its good will by steps to cut back commitments in implementing all of its commitments under accordance to paragraph 36 of the JCPOA the deal wholeheartedly, and as the world which “allows one side, under certain witnessed, the Agency has continuously circumstances, to stop complying with the reported the full compliance of Iran with deal if the other side is out of compliance.” the JCPOA,” said Kazem Gharibabadi, the Iranian envoy to the IAEA. https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/442243/ Russia-says-U-S-remains-isolated-at-IAEA- “Iran tries to protect its national interest meeting-on-Iran in accordance with international rules, regulations and negotiated agreements, Europe should pay price to salvage and even the recent steps taken by Iran to JCPOA: envoy cease the implementation of some of its commitments under the JCPOA not only Tehran Times, November 22, 2019 are the continuation of its full compliance Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran’s ambassador and with the provisions of the deal consistent permanent representative to the Vienna- with its paragraph 36, but also do not based international organizations, says break any of its international obligations, Europe should be ready to pay the price if it and Iran still is acting within the nuclear wants to preserve the nuclear deal. “It is deal,” he added. completely visible that turning a blind eye “However, if it [Iran] is to be the only, and to the current state of the affairs shows that I stress, the only participant who bears the Europeans are not ready yet to pay the burden and implements the deal necessary price for maintaining the most 41 Nuclear, Missile & Space Digest

unilaterally, such a lopsided implementation, provided from oversees,” Ambassador naturally, would not last long, and gradual Gharib Abadi added. cessation of implementation of commitments would be the first step for Iran https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/442285/ to take to bring back the lost balance in the Iran-voices-serious-concern-over-UAE-nuclear- deal,” he warned. He made the remarks in safety a statement on Thursday before the IAEA Board of Governors which met on Sanctions on Fordow is a blow to Verification and Monitoring of Iran in Light nuclear deal: Russian CENESS of United Nations Security Council director Resolution 2231 passed in 2015. Tehran Times, November 24, 2019 During the meeting, IAEA Acting Director- Director of the Russian Center for Energy General Cornel Feruta claimed the Agency and Security Studies (CENESS) Anton has “detected natural uranium particles of Khlopkov has said that the United States’ anthropogenic origin at a location in Iran sanctions on the Fordow nuclear plant is not declared to the agency” and said the a blow to the 2015 nuclear deal, formally issue has remained “unresolved”. “A known as the JCPOA. In an interview meeting between the Agency and Iran is with IRNA published on Saturday, he said scheduled next week in Tehran to discuss the U.S. action in dropping sanctions the matter,” he said. waiver for Fordow is a violation of https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/442220/Iran- international law. still-faithful-to-all-its-JCPOA-obligations-envoy- “In the past year and a half, the United tells States has taken various actions against the JCPOA which are contrary to Iran voices serious concern over Resolution 2231 of the United Nations UAE nuclear safety Security Council, while the United States Tehran Times, November 23, 2019 was among the initiators of this resolution and the JCPOA,” he said. Iran’s permanent representative to the United Nations Office and other Resolution 2231 endorsed the nuclear deal International Organizations in Vienna has and annulled all the previous sanctions voiced Tehran’s deep concern over the safety resolutions against Iran. U.S. Secretary of of the United Arab Emirates’ nuclear State Mike Pompeo announced on program. Kazem Gharib Abadi’s remarks November 18 that the U.S. will no longer came in his address on Thursday to the waive sanctions related to the Fordow International Atomic Energy Agency’s nuclear plant after Tehran resumed Board of Governors on Verification and uranium enrichment work at the site more Monitoring in the Islamic Republic of Iran than a year after Washington withdrew in Light of the United Nations Security from the nuclear pact and imposed Council resolution 2231. sanctions on Iran.

Gharib Abadi said, “The UAE’s nuclear https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/442312/ program is a full-scale imported program. Sanctions-on-Fordow-is-a-blow-to-nuclear-deal- It does not rely on domestic capacities and Russian-CENESS knowledge, therefore we are seriously concerned about the program’s security and Iran, IAEA sign new projects for safety.” technical cooperation

He said that according to the IAEA’s Tehran Times, November 25, 2019 regulations, the host country must accept Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran’s ambassador to responsibility of the nuclear sites’ safety and the Vienna-based international security. “Safety and security cannot be organizations, has said that Iran and the 42 Volume 11, Number 23 December 15, 2019

International Atomic Energy Agency partially reduce its commitments to the (IAEA) have signed new projects for agreement at bi-monthly intervals. technical cooperation in nuclear industry. “Our country’s Atomic Energy Organization In the first stage, Iran announced that it and the Agency [IAEA] held technical talks will not limit its stockpile of the nuclear and are supposed to continue implementing fuel to 300 kilograms allowed under the two projects of technical cooperation in deal. On that date (May 8) Iran’s Supreme areas of power plants and cancer treatment National Security Council (SNSC) said if in 2020 and 2021,” IRNA reported the remaining parties to the JCPOA, Gharibabadi as saying on Monday. “In especially Europeans, devise a mechanism addition to that, four new projects for to protect Iran from the sanctions’ effect technical cooperation have been signed,” the in the two-month deadline it will reverse ambassador said. its decision.

He added, “These projects, whose https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/442351/ implementation requires over one million JCPOA-joint-commission-to-convene-on- euro and are financed by the Agency, are in December-6 areas of promoting safety in exploiting nuclear research reactors, promoting Iran dismisses French comments human capacities in area of nuclear fuel and about nuclear deal’s dispute also promoting capacity of producers in area mechanism of main grains and also managing waste.” Reuters, November 28, 2019 https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/442334/Iran- Iran rejects as “irresponsible” comments IAEA-sign-new-projects-for-technical-cooperation by France that it is seriously considering triggering a mechanism within the Iran JCPOA joint commission to convene nuclear deal that could lead to U.N. on December 6 sanctions, Iranian Foreign Ministry Tehran Times, November 25, 2019 spokesman Abbas Mousavi said on Thursday. “Iran’s scaling back of its Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi nuclear commitments was implementation said on Monday that the Joint Commission of its legal rights to react to America’s of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action illegal and unilateral exit of the deal and (JCPOA) may convene on December 6 at the the European parties’ failure to fulfill their level of deputy foreign ministers. The latest obligations,” Mousavi said in remarks developments in implementing the JCPOA quoted by state television. “Under these will be discussed in the meeting, he said circumstances, the deal does not allow during a press conference. Iran has started triggering of the mechanism by the to gradually reduce its commitments to the European parties to the deal ... such JCPOA in response to the United States remarks by the French official are which abandoned the landmark deal in May irresponsible and not constructive.” The 2018 and reinstituted sanctions. mechanism involves a party referring a dispute to a Joint Commission comprising So far, the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, Russia, China, the three European Iran (AEOI) has taken four steps to cut back powers, and the European Union and commitments in accordance with paragraph then on to the U.N. Security Council if that 36 of the JCPOA which “allows one side, commission cannot resolve it. under certain circumstances, to stop complying with the deal if the other side is https://www.reuters.com/article/us-iran- out of compliance.” nuclear-eu/iran-dismisses-french-comments- about-nuclear-deals-dispute-mechanism- On May 8, exactly one year after the U.S. idUSKBN1Y216Z abandoned the deal, Tehran announced that its “strategic patience” is over and began to 43 Nuclear, Missile & Space Digest

Iran : Invoking nuclear deal’s countries party to the 2015 nuclear deal. dispute resolution mechanism It was introduced long after the U.S. impossible – TV imposed sanctions on Iran and threatened to punish any country or company that Reuters, November 28, 2019 does business with Iran. INSTEX is supposed to be a financial channel and a Iran rejected as “irresponsible” France’s special mechanism for transferring money comments that Paris was seriously in spite of U.S. sanctions on Iran. Its considering triggering a mechanism within objective is to facilitate Iran’s transactions the Iran nuclear deal that could lead to U.N. with European companies. On March 20, sanctions, Iranian Foreign Ministry Iran’s central bank governor Abdolnaser spokesman Abbas Mousavi said on Hemmati announced that a mechanism Thursday, state TV reported. “Iran’s scaling similar to INSTEX has been registered in back of its nuclear commitments was Iran, officially called the Special Trade and implementation of its legal rights to react to Finance Institute (STFI). America’s illegal and unilateral exit of the deal and the European parties’ failure to https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/442470/ fulfil their obligations,” Mousavi said. Six-European-countries-to-join-INSTEX “Under these circumstances, the deal does not allow triggering of the mechanism by New IAEA chief says he wants the European parties to the deal ... such ‘constructive’ relation with Iran remarks by the French official are irresponsible and not constructive.” Tehran Times, November 30, 2019

https://in.reuters.com/article/iran-nuclear-eu/iran- In an interview with NHK published on invoking-nuclear-deals-dispute-resolution- Saturday, he said he will take a fair stance mechanism-impossible-tv-idINL1N288058 on Iran. Rafael Grossi is set to take office as director general of the UN nuclear Six European countries to join watchdog on Tuesday. The agency’s board INSTEX appointed him to the post in October, following the death of the previous chief Tehran Times, November 29, 2019 Yukiya Amano in July. Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi said on “In light of the continuous European October 31 that Iran is ready to expand support for the agreement and the ongoing cooperation with the IAEA based on efforts to implement the economic part of it “mutual trust” and adoption of a and to facilitate legitimate trade between professional approach by the UN nuclear Europe and Iran, we are now in the process body. of becoming shareholders of the Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges (INSTEX) “The Islamic Republic of Iran is ready to subject to completion of national procedures. maintain and expand constructive INSTEX was established by France, interaction and cooperation with the Germany and the United Kingdom in agency based on mutual respect and January 2019,” read the statement, professional precision and neutrality of published by the Foreign Ministry of Finland. this institution,” he said in a message, congratulating appointment of Grossi as It added, “The nuclear agreement was the director general of the IAEA. Mousavi unanimously endorsed by the UN Security expressed hope that Grossi would fulfil his Council and is as a key instrument for the international duties professionally and global non-proliferation regime and a major with adopting an independent position. contribution to stability in the region.” https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/442521/ INSTEX has been designed by the European New-IAEA-chief-says-he-wants-constructive- Union to facilitate legitimate trade with relation-with-Iran Tehran. It was introduced on January 31 by France, Germany and Britain, the three 44 Volume 11, Number 23 December 15, 2019

France welcomes six European Diplomat hopes INSTEX would be countries’ decision to join INSTEX implemented as six more Tehran Times, November 30, 2019 countries join in French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian Tehran Times, November 30, 2019 has welcomed six European countries’ Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for decision to join the Instrument in Support Political Affairs Abbas Araghchi said on of Trade Exchanges (INSTEX). Belgium, Saturday that he hopes the Instrument in Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, Support of Trade Exchanges (INSTEX) Norway, and Sweden issued a joint would become operational as six more statement on Friday announcing becoming European countries join the financial shareholders of INSTEX. In a tweet on mechanism. His comments came as Friday, Le Drian said that the six European Belgium, Denmark, Finland, the countries made an important decision to join Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden issued INSTEX. a joint statement on Friday announcing becoming shareholders of INSTEX. He also said that the Europeans are strongly committed to support the 2015 nuclear deal, In an interview with IRNA correspondent officially known as the Joint Comprehensive in Beijing on Saturday, Araghchi said the Plan of Action. The statement issued by the European countries’ action in joining six European countries says, “In light of the INSTEX is “valuable”. INSTEX has been continuous European support for the designed by the European Union to agreement and the ongoing efforts to facilitate legitimate trade with Tehran. It implement the economic part of it and to was introduced on January 31 by France, facilitate legitimate trade between Europe Germany, and Britain, the three countries and Iran, we are now in the process of party to the 2015 nuclear deal. It was becoming shareholders of the Instrument in introduced long after the U.S. imposed Support of Trade Exchanges (INSTEX) sanctions on Iran and threatened to subject to completion of national procedures. punish any country or company that does INSTEX was established by France, business with Iran. It is supposed to be a Germany and the United Kingdom in financial channel and a special mechanism January 2019.” for transferring money in spite of U.S. sanctions on Iran. Its objective is to It added, “The nuclear agreement was facilitate Iran’s transactions with unanimously endorsed by the UN Security European companies. Council and is as a key instrument for the global non-proliferation regime and a major “The fact that the European countries are contribution to stability in the region.” serious about having INSTEX as a business INSTEX has been designed by the European mechanism to keep economic relations Union to facilitate legitimate trade with with Iran and finding a way in order for Tehran. It was introduced on January 31 by Iran to have economic interaction with France, Germany, and Britain, the three Europeans despite the United States’ countries party to the nuclear deal. It was sanctions is very valuable,” said Araqchi. introduced long after the U.S. imposed sanctions on Iran and threatened to punish Araqchi served as a senior negotiator in any country or company that does business crafting the 2015 nuclear deal, officially with Iran. known as the JCPOA, with the other parties, which includes the five permanent https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/442515/ members of the UN Security Council France-welcomes-six-European-countries-deci- (China, Russia, Britain, France, and the sion-to-join-INSTEX 45 Nuclear, Missile & Space Digest

U.S.) Germany and the European Union. East Asia However, the U.S., under President Donald Trump, abandoned the deal and reinstituted J. North Korea sanctions on Iran. North Korea says nuclear issues https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/442518/ will not be on agenda unless U.S. Diplomat-hopes-INSTEX-would-be-implemented- ‘hostile policy’ discussed: KCNA as-six-more-countries Reuters, November 17, 2019 Salehi: Iran views IAEA inspector’s North Korea said on Sunday nuclear issues act as ‘industrial sabotage’ will not be discussed when talks with the United States restart unless the Tehran Times, November 30, 2019 withdrawal of U.S. “hostile policy” was Nuclear chief Ali Akbar Salehi has said Iran put on the agenda, state media reported. views the conduct of an IAEA inspector who The North’s foreign ministry said in a was carrying suspicious material while statement carried by the official KCNA entering the Natanz nuclear enrichment site news agency that the recent passage of a as an “industrial sabotage”. In early United Nations resolution on Pyongyang’s November Iran confirmed that it had human rights was a U.S.-led “political prevented an inspector from the provocation.” North Korea has previously International Atomic Energy Agency from described the U.N. criticism as a product accessing the site because she was carrying of U.S. “hostile policy”. suspicious material. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-northkorea- “The Agency’s inspectors must be checked usa/north-korea-says-nuclear-issues-will-not-be- while entering Iran’s sites and in this check on-agenda-unless-u-s-hostile-policy-discussed- the devices showed that one of the inspectors kcna-idUSKBN1XR081 was carrying suspicious material,” Salehi told the Youth Journalists Club in interview North Korea says will not offer published on Saturday. Salehi said when the anything to Trump without inspector was asked about the issue “her receiving in return: KCNA answers were not convincing and not acceptable.” Reuters, November 18, 2019 North Korea will not offer anything for Salehi, a nuclear scientist, said some other U.S. President Donald Trump to brag things happened that “I cannot reveal their about without receiving anything in details.” return, a statement on its state news All these events were “documented” and agency KCNA said on Monday. North “filmed” but since the inspector enjoyed Korea was not interested in a summit that diplomatic immunity “we could not hold was “useless to itself”, said the statement, her,” director of the Atomic Energy under the name of Foreign Ministry Organization of Iran explained. Referring adviser Kim Kye Gwan, referring to to the history of malicious moves against Trump’s message on Sunday to North Iran’s nuclear work in the past, he said the Korean leader Kim Jong Un on Twitter. West used Stuxnet virus against the Iranian “If the U.S. does not really want to let go nuclear industry, committed industrial of its dialogue with us, it should make a sabotage, and sold faulty equipment to Iran. decision to withdraw its hostile policy of “We see the recent act by the Agency’s viewing us as an enemy,” the KCNA inspector is in line with those measures.” statement said.

https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/442524/ https://www.reuters.com/article/us-northkorea- Salehi-Iran-views-IAEA-inspector-s-act-as- usa-trump/north-korea-says-will-not-offer- industrial-sabotage anything-to-trump-without-receiving-in- return-kcna-idUSKBN1XS0WF 46 Volume 11, Number 23 December 15, 2019

KAPPC chief warns US against threats to the security and development anti-DPRK hostility of the DPRK are removed, rather than discuss the issues for the improvement of Pyongyang Times, November 19, 2019 DPRK-US relations and establishment of The US secretary of Defense said on Nov peace mechanism within the framework 17 that the US decided to suspend the joint of negotiation for denuclearization. The aerial drill with south Korea, adding that US should not dream of the negotiations north Korea should make a “good response” for denuclearization before dropping its to the US “measure of good will” and come hostile policy toward the DPRK. back to the negotiating table without any http://www.pyongyangtimes.com.kp/ condition. The US tries to make a good ?bbs=32157 impression as if it contributes to peace and stability on the Korean peninsula, describing North Korea says it’s gained the suspension as “consideration for and concession” to someone. But, we demand nothing from US but ‘betrayal’ that the US quit the drill or stop it once and Korea Times, November 23, 2019 for all. North Korea’s U.N. Mission says the The suspension of the drill does not mean country has gained ‘’nothing but a sense ensuring peace and security on the Korean of betrayal’’ since its leader Kim Jong Un peninsula and is not helpful to the and U.S. President Donald Trump diplomatic efforts for the settlement of committed to establishing a new issues. If the US is concerned about the relationship. The mission said in a DPRK-US dialogue, the question is why it summary of its assessment of North Korea- persistently depends on “human rights” U.S. relations on Friday that ‘’the currently racket, sanctions and pressure aiming at imbalanced situation can no longer be defaming and stifling the DPRK, its dialogue allowed.’’ It said that since the U.S. has partner. From the viewpoint of the failed to take reciprocal measures to its international community, such behavior of suspension of ‘’a number of actions,’’ there the US may be seen vague as the one is no reason for further restraint and ‘’it is confused and contradictory, but the DPRK quite natural for us to bolster our clearly see it. capabilities.’’ Kim Jong Un has demanded the U.S. come up with new, acceptable The US is resorting to every crafty artifice, measures to salvage nuclear talks by year’s obsessed with hostility towards the DPRK, end. And Pyongyang has been stepping seeking to earn time to get out of the critical up its pressures on Washington to make situation in the run-up to the year in and bigger concessions. (AP) year out. The US always calls for negotiation for denuclearization, but there is no room http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2019/ to say about the negotiation before the 11/103_279203.html complete and irrevocable withdrawal of its hostile policy toward the DPRK, the root N. Korea, Russia discuss ‘strategic cause of the nuclear issue of the Korean communications, cooperation peninsula. We have nothing pressing and have no intention to sit on the table with Korea Times, November 23, 2019 the tricky US. North Korean First Vice Foreign Minister From now on, the DPRK will get due Choe Son-hui, considered a key nuclear strategist of leader Kim Jong-un, has met compensation for every administrative achievement the US president has talked too with a senior Russian diplomat and much about for over a year. It will be discussed the need for “strategic possible to consult the denuclearization only communications and cooperation” between the two countries, the North’s when confidence-building between the DPRK and the US goes first and all the state media said Saturday. Choe met with Russian Vice Foreign Minister Igor 47 Nuclear, Missile & Space Digest

Morgulov in Moscow on Friday and South Korea’s military said. The test-firing exchanged views on the situation on the came as the clock ticks down on the year- Korean Peninsula and in the region, end deadline that Pyongyang had given according to the Korean Central News the United States to show flexibility in their Agency. “(They) mentioned the need for the stalled denuclearization talks. It also DPRK and Russia to intensify strategic coincided with the U.S. Thanksgiving communications and cooperation,” the holiday, and took place one day before the report said. DPRK stands for the North’s second anniversary of the North’s test of official name, the Democratic People’s an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) Republic of Korea. capable of hitting the U.S. mainland.

On Thursday, Choe also met with Russian South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) Vice Defense Minister Alexander Fomin, said the North fired the two projectiles into according to the report. Choe arrived in the sea from launchers in the eastern Moscow on Tuesday for the first round of coastal town of Yonpo at around 5 p.m. strategic dialogue between North Korea and (0800 GMT). The rockets traveled up to 380 Russia, which was launched after the first km (236 miles) and reached an altitude of summit between Kim and Russian President 97 km (60 miles), the JCS said. Vladimir Putin in April. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-northkorea- http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2019/ missiles/north-korea-test-fires-rockets-in- 11/103_279197.html thanksgiving-reminder-of-year-end-deadline-for- u-s-idUSKBN1Y20QX North Korea appears to have launched a missile, Japan’s N. Korea hails ‘successful test of coastguard says super-large multiple rocket launcher’ Reuters, November 28, 2019 Korea Times, November 29, 2019 Japan’s coastguard on Thursday said that North Korea had launched what appeared North Korea said Friday it successfully to be a missile, adding that it was monitoring tested a super-large multiple rocket where the projectile would land. The launcher’s successive firing system under coastguard offered no further details. The leader Kim Jong-un’s guidance in the incident follows the launch of two short- launch of two projectiles the previous day. range projectiles by Pyongyang in late On Thursday, South Korea’s military said October, which landed in waters between the North fired two projectiles from what North Korea and Japan. is presumed to be a super-large multiple rocket launcher from Yeonpo in the https://www.reuters.com/article/us-northkorea- country’s eastern South Hamgyong missiles-japan/north-korea-appears-to-have- Province toward the East Sea. The North’s launched-a-missile-japans-coastguard-says- official Korean Central News Agency said idUSKBN1Y20RE the Academy of Defence Science conducted the drill to “finally examine the North Korea test fires rockets in combat applicability” of the launcher. Kim Thanksgiving reminder of year-end expressed “great satisfaction” over the test deadline for U.S. results. Hyonhee Shin, Jack Kim, Reuters, November The test-fire “proved the military and 28, 2019 technical superiority of the weapon system and its firm reliability,” the report said. Breaking a month-long lull in missile tests, The commanders of the North’s military North Korea fired two short range expressed gratitude to the leader “who projectiles into the sea off its east coast on saw to it that lots of arms and equipment Thursday in what appeared to be the latest of powerful performance were developed try out of its new multiple rocket launchers, 48 Volume 11, Number 23 December 15, 2019

and perfected this year for the military and The country is under various sets of technical strengthening of the Korean sanctions over its missile and nuclear People’s Army,” it said. Thursday’s firings programmes. Lifting the sanctions has marked the 13th major weapons test North been a key aim of the North in talks with Korea conducted this year, and the fourth the US - Japan’s ally - but these have stalled test of its super-large rocket launcher system, since a summit between its leader Kim which is presumed to be a 600-millimeter Jong-un and President Donald Trump diameter one. The North previously tested broke down in February. the weapon on Aug. 24, Sept. 10 and Oct. 31. The latest projectiles were fired within a https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia- 30-second interval and flew around 380 50613051 kilometers, reaching a maximum altitude of around 97 km, according to the Joint Chiefs K. South Korea of Staff (JCS). The JCS has expressed “strong S. Korea, US hold annual defense regret” about the launches, saying they will not help efforts to ease tensions on the ministers’ talks Korean Peninsula. Yonhap, Korea Herald, November 15, 2019 The unification ministry also urged South Korea and the United States held Pyongyang to stop acts that escalate annual defense ministers’ talks in Seoul on tensions and stressed the need to improve Friday as the allies face tricky issues such inter-Korean relations through dialogue and as a soon-to-expire intelligence-sharing cooperation. North Korea resumed its major pact between Seoul and Tokyo and weapons tests in May after an 18-month defense cost-sharing negotiations. Defense hiatus. In previous tests, it launched new Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo and US types of short-range missiles, including its Secretary of Defense Mark Esper held the version of Russia’s Iskander, as well as an 51st Security Consultative Meeting for “in- upgraded version of a submarine-launched depth discussions on various pending ballistic missile, the Pukguksong-3. security issues,” the defense ministry said. Key agenda items included the security https://www.reuters.com/article/us-northkorea- situation on the Korean Peninsula and the missiles-kim/north-koreas-thanksgiving-day-test- conditions-based transfer of wartime shows-improving-speed-for-missile-crews- idUSKBN1Y229Z operational control of South Korean forces from Washington to Seoul, the ministry North Korea threatens Japan with said in a release. Later in the day, the two ministers plan to hold a joint press ‘real ballistic missile’ conference. BBC November 30, 2019 This year’s meeting is the subject of North Korea has branded Japan’s PM particular attention as it takes place just a Shinzo Abe an “imbecile” and “political week before South Korea’s earlier decision dwarf”, accusing him of mislabelling its to end the General Security of Military latest weapons test. Mr Abe condemned the Information Agreement between Seoul North for “repeated launches of ballistic and Tokyo takes effect on Nov. 23. Seoul missiles” after two projectiles were fired on made the decision in August after Japan Thursday. But the North insisted it was imposed export curbs in a row over testing a “super-large multiple-rocket wartime forced labor. The US has called launcher”. On Saturday, state media said for GSOMIA to be renewed as it sees the Japan “may see what a real ballistic missile three-year-old pact as a key trilateral is in the not distant future”. North Korea is security mechanism to counter threats banned from firing ballistic missiles under posed by North Korea and an assertive UN Security Council resolutions. China that has deepened defense ties with Russia. Seoul says it can reconsider the 49 Nuclear, Missile & Space Digest

GSOMIA decision only if Japan first changes the United States, which had pleaded with its course. its two Asian allies not to let their worsening relations to affect GSOMIA. http://www.koreaherald.com/ The pact was signed in 2016 to better view.php?ud=20191115000254&ACE_SEARCH=1 counter nuclear and missile threats from North Korea. ‘Third US-North Korea summit to surely produce results’: Moon http://www.koreaherald.com/ view.php?ud=20191122000607&ACE_SEARCH=1 Kim Yoo-chul, Korea Times, November 19, 2019 South Korea decides to renew If a third summit between U.S. President GSOMIA Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Yoo-chul, Jhoo Dong-chan, Korea Kim Jong-un takes place, then that will Times, November 22, 2019 “surely produce results,” President Moon Jae-in said, Tuesday night. Speaking in a South Korea decided to renew a military nationally-televised question-and-answer intelligence-sharing pact with Japan, session with 300 selected South Korean Japanese media reports said, Friday citizens at MBC news center in Mapo, afternoon. According to NHK in Japan, northern Seoul, the President said efforts South Korea notified Japan of its decision were already underway to make the third to renew the General Security of Military summit North Korea happens. “Just as the Information Agreement (GSOMIA). NHK United States and North Korea have didn’t elaborate. First and second deputies announced publicly, I think efforts via of the presidential National Security Office working-level discussions are already Kim You-geun and Kim Hyun-chong are underway for another Trump and Kim expected to announce Seoul’s final decision summit within this year,” Moon said; but regarding GSOMIA around 6 p.m. at the declined to elaborate further. He remained earliest, according to officials familiar with positive with regard to the outcomes of such the issue. The foreign ministry is set to hold a meeting. “I am sure results will be a briefing session right after the Cheong generated if the third summit between Wa Dae announcement. Trump and Kim actually happens,” the President said. Forecasts earlier in the day were that Seoul will officially allow the General Security http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2019/ of Military Information Agreement 11/113_279004.html (GSOMIA) to expire, with President Moon Jae-in and top South Korean government Ruling, main opposition parties officials repeatedly reaffirming Seoul’s welcome gov’t’s decision to stance not to reverse course unless Japan postpone GSOMIA termination cancels its July move to restrict exports to South Korea. GSOMIA is aimed at Yonhap, Korea Herald, November 22, 2019 countering North Korean nuclear and missile threats. It had been renewed The ruling and the main opposition parties automatically annually since it was singed both welcomed the government’s decision on Nov. 23, 2016, and was due to be Friday to conditionally suspend the expiry extended unless one of the countries of a military intelligence-sharing pact with decided to drop it 90 days prior to its Japan. South Korea’s announcement came extension deadline, said Cheong Wa Dae six hours before the expiration of the General officials. Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) at midnight, amid deteriorating http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2019/ ties between Seoul and Tokyo over a trade 11/113_279176.html spat. The decision could also be a relief to 50 Volume 11, Number 23 December 15, 2019

Ambassador hopes GSOMIA year,” the NIS was quoted as saying by decision helps strengthen S. Korea- lawmakers. US ties http://www.koreaherald.com/ Yonhap, Korea Herald, November 26, 2019 view.php?ud=20191129000474&ACE_SEARCH=1 South Korea’s ambassador to the United Top nuclear envoys of S. Korea, States voiced hope Monday that Seoul’s US, Japan hold phone talks on NK decision to tentatively extend a military information-sharing pact with Japan will firing bolster its ties with Washington. Yonhap, Korea Herald, November 29, 2019 Ambassador Lee Soo-hyuck was referring to Seoul’s decision last week to postpone the South Korea’s chief nuclear envoy has held termination of the General Security of telephone talks with his counterparts of Military Information Agreement following the United States and Japan and discussed Tokyo’s willingness to hold working-level North Korea’s latest firing of projectiles, talks on each country’s export control Seoul’s foreign ministry said Friday. Lee measures. Washington had pressed both of Do-hoon, special representative for Korean its allies to salvage the pact in the interest of Peninsula peace and security affairs, spoke trilateral cooperation against North Korea’s by phone with Steven Biegun, special nuclear threats and China’s military rise. On representative for North Korea, early Friday, the State Department welcomed Friday (Seoul time). He spoke to Shigeki Seoul’s move. Takizaki, head of the Japanese foreign ministry’s Asian and Oceanian Affairs http://www.koreaherald.com/ Bureau late Thursday. During the calls, view.php?ud=20191126000078&ACE_SEARCH=1 Lee shared assessments with each side on North Korea’s test-firing of two projectiles NK’s latest weapons test intended from a super-large multiple rocket to warn it can return to past launcher and discussed joint efforts for behavior: Seoul future coordination related to the issue. Yonhap, Korea Herald, November 29, 2019 On Thursday, the North conducted the test-firing from the country’s eastern area North Korea appears to have tested a super- into the East Sea, marking the fourth such large multiple rocket launcher as a warning test involving the super-large rocket sign that it can return to its past behavior of launcher system and the 13th weapons test resorting to provocations if it fails to get so far this year. The latest launch came what it wants during talks with the United amid a lack of progress in the States, Seoul’s spy agency said Friday. The denuclearization talks between National Intelligence Service also assessed Pyongyang and Washington, with the as “premeditated” the North’s recent North demanding the US drop its artillery firing drills on an inter-Korean “hostile” policy toward the regime. border island in the Yellow Sea. On Thursday, the North fired two short-range http://www.koreaherald.com/ projectiles in a row from a super-large view.php?ud=20191129000470&ACE_SEARCH=1 multiple rocket launcher from its eastern town of Yeonpo into the East Sea. It marked L .Japan the 13th major weapons test by the North this year. Pope Francis to take anti-nuclear mission to Japan’s ground zeros “North Korea apparently intended to give a warning message to the US and South Philip Pullella, Reuters, November 18, Korea that it can return to the past (pattern 2019 of behavior) if it fails to achieve its goal from Pope Francis takes his mission to ban dialogue with Washington by the end of this nuclear weapons this week to the only places where they were used in war, 51 Nuclear, Missile & Space Digest

visiting the World War Two ground zeros With the INF now invalidated, Beijing is of Hiroshima and Nagasaki as part of a tour concerned that Washington plans to of Japan and Thailand. The seven-day trip, deploy intermediate-range missiles in one of his longest and most distant, gives Japan and South Korea where they would Francis an opportunity to support and be capable of reaching China. According encourage the tiny but well respected to the Japanese and U.S. government Catholic communities, which make up less sources, China relayed its concerns in than 1% of the population in each country. bilateral meetings held on the sidelines of the foreign ministers conference between In fact, the Catholic populations of each Japan, China and South Korea in Beijing country - 389,000 in Thailand and 536,000 in August. “If the United States deploys in Japan - are smaller than crowds he has intermediate-range missiles in Japan, that attracted at single events in other countries. would have a major effect on Japan-China Francis, making the 32nd trip since he relations,” Wang was quoted as telling became pope in 2013, leaves on Tuesday for then Foreign Minister Taro Kono. Thailand, where he arrives on Wednesday afternoon after an 11-1/2 hour flight to A Japanese specialist on China said, “After Bangkok. In his three days there, he will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping visits Japan the supreme patriarch of Thai Buddhists, next spring, a major issue that will likely Somdet Phra Maha Muniwong, who at 91 arise between Japan and China will be is nearly a decade older than the pope, and whether Japan allows the United States King Maha Vajiralongkorn, 67.After four to base new missiles here.” A Foreign days in Thailand, Francis moves on to Ministry source said the official ministry Japan, where international and domestic position was that no decision had been politics will loom large, particularly on Nov. made about deploying U.S. intermediate- 24, when he visits Hiroshima and Nagasaki. range missiles in Japan. The source added Francis wants a total ban on nuclear that it would likely take five years before weapons, going further than his U.S. missiles would be ready for an actual predecessors when he said in 2017 that deployment. countries should not stockpile them even for the purpose of deterrence. This stance was http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/ criticized by conservatives within and AJ201911190037.html outside the Catholic Church who say deterrence had worked for 75 years. Pope calls use of nuclear weapons immoral in video post to Japan https://in.reuters.com/article/pope-asia/pope- francis-to-take-anti-nuclear-mission-to-japans- Shinichi Kawarada, The Asahi Shimbun, ground-zeros-idINKBN1XR0D3 November 19, 2019 Pope Francis posted a personal video China warns Japan, S. Korea over message online to the people of Japan on deployment of U.S. missiles Nov. 18, as part of preparations for his Nov. 23 visit to the country. Francis, who Yoshihiro Makino, The Asahi Shimbun, November 19, 2019 at 15:40 JST is scheduled to visit the atomic-bombed cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, offered Chinese officials have warned Japan and words of solidarity with citizens opposed South Korea that their relations with Beijing to nuclear weapons. The United States will deteriorate if they allow the United bombed the cities in August 1945 at the States to base intermediate-range missiles on end of World War II, the only time nuclear their soil, several sources said. One of the weapons have been used in war. warnings came during Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s separate meetings with “Together with all of you, I pray that the his Japanese and South Korean counterparts destructive power of nuclear weapons is in August, Japanese and U.S. government never used again in human history,” the sources said. pope said in the video. “It is immoral to use nuclear weapons.” It is customary for 52 Volume 11, Number 23 December 15, 2019

the pope to send out the message before he in wartime. Francis, a determined anti- leaves on trips to other countries. In the nuclear campaigner who will read a three-minute message, the pope spoke of the message on nuclear weapons in Nagasaki, need for humans to act to protect all life. will also meet survivors of the March 11, 2011 nuclear meltdown at Fukushima, the “This strong instinct that resonates in our world’s worst nuclear disaster since heart, to defend the value and dignity of all Chernobyl in 1986. The pope touched human persons, it takes a special importance down in Tokyo after flying from Thailand in front of the threats to the peaceful for a four-day visit that will be the first in coexistence that in the present moment the 38 years and only the second in history. world has to face, especially the armed Another goal of his visit is to encourage conflicts.” the Catholic community in Japan, where just about 1 percent of the population http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/ identifies as Christian, about half of them AJ201911190047.html Catholic. He will say two Masses, one in Nagasaki and one in Tokyo, as well as Rich in dramatic Catholic history, meeting Japanese officials and Emperor Nagasaki awaits the pope Naruhito.

Mari Yamaguchi, AP News, November 20, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-pope-japan- 2019 arrival/pope-francis-arrives-in-japan-to-pro- mote-anti-nuclear-message-idUSKBN1XX063 It’s fitting that Pope Francis will start his first official visit to Japan in Nagasaki, the city Pope in Hiroshima: Use and where Christianity first took hold in the possession of atom bomb country and where nearly 500 years later it remains steeped in blood-soaked symbolism, ‘immoral’ both religious and political. It was here that Nicole Winfield And Kaori Hitomi, AP a small group of beleaguered Catholic News, November 24, 2019 converts went deep underground during centuries of violent persecution. It was here Pope Francis traveled to Hiroshima and that their descendants dramatically emerged Nagasaki on Sunday to demand that world from hiding in the 19th century, their faith powers renounce their nuclear arsenals, unbroken. And it was here that a U.S. atom declaring the use and possession of atomic bomb brought death and destruction to the bombs an “immoral” crime and a cathedral that community was finally able dangerous waste. Standing before to build. As Francis makes the first papal survivors of the 1945 U.S. atomic visit to Japan in 38 years, he will likely look bombings, Francis denounced the steady to the past by honoring the doggedness of erosion of arms control agreements and rejected the Cold War-era doctrine of those so-called Hidden Christians, while also deterrence that had been sanctioned by the laying out his vision for a future free from Catholic Church for nearly three decades. the threat of nuclear weapons. In the rain of Nagasaki and the silent https://apnews.com/ darkness of Hiroshima, he urged political 8d0e2f30a03245b5899cb3ba20566714 leaders to accept that true peace and international security cannot be built in a Pope Francis arrives in Japan to climate of distrust, but rather solidarity. promote anti-nuclear message “The use of atomic energy for purposes of Reuters, November 23, 2019 war is immoral,” the pope declared during a nighttime prayer at Hiroshima’s peace Pope Francis arrived on Saturday in Japan, memorial. He added off-the-cuff, “As is the second leg of a week-long Asian trip the possession of atomic weapons.” “We whose main aim is to bring an anti-nuclear will be judged for this,” he warned. message to Nagasaki and Hiroshima, the world’s only cities to suffer atomic bombing https://apnews.com/ bc54b85007614cd283b3eb23f32ab6a0 53 Nuclear, Missile & Space Digest

Pope urges abolition of nuclear of energy. The pope did not directly call weapons at Japan’s ground zeros for the abolition of nuclear power plants, but he did note that Japanese bishops have Philip Pullella, Reuters, November 24, 2019 called for the “immediate abolition” of Pope Francis brought his campaign to such plants since the triple meltdowns in abolish nuclear weapons to the only two Fukushima. “Our age is tempted to make cities ever hit by atomic bombs on Sunday, technological progress the measure of calling their possession indefensibly perverse human progress,” he said. “So it is and immoral and their use a crime against important to pause and reflect on who we mankind and nature. Francis visited the are … and who we want to be. “Important ground zeros of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, decisions will have to be made about the both seared in the world’s collective use of natural resources, and future energy consciousness after the bombs dropped there sources in particular,” he stressed. by the United States three days apart in The pontiff, who arrived Saturday on a August 1945 in an effort to end World War four-day tour in what is the first papal visit Two. “Here, in an incandescent burst of to Japan in 38 years, listened to lightning and fire, so many men and kindergarten teacher Toshito Kato, women, so many dreams and hopes, Buddhist priest Tokuun Tanaka and disappeared, leaving behind only shadows Matsuki Kamoshita, who was eight years and silence,” Francis said at Hiroshima’s old when she and her family were Peace Memorial after standing in silent evacuated to Tokyo following the prayer and listening to a harrowing account Fukushima disaster. All three are survivors by a survivor. of the 2011 disasters.

Yoshiko Kajimoto, who was 14 at the time, The debate on nuclear plants still continues recalled “people walking side by side like in Japan eight years after the Fukushima ghosts, people whose whole body was so incident. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has burnt that I could not tell the difference promoted the reactivation of dozens of between men and women, their hair commercial nuclear plants that were standing on end, their faces swollen to suspended after the accident. His double size, their lips hanging loose, with government argues that it has both hands held out with burnt skin hanging implemented strict safety regulations, and from them.” “No one in this world can that reactivation is necessary for Japan — imagine such a scene of hell,” she said. More which has few domestic energy sources. than 100,000 people died instantly in the On Monday the pope also met about 900 twin attacks and about 400,000 others died young people who gathered at St. Mary’s in subsequent months, years and decades of Cathedral in Bunkyo Ward in the capital. radiation sickness or illnesses. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2019/11/25/ https://fr.reuters.com/article/ukall/ national/pope-francis-nuclear-energy-japan/ idUKKBN1XX0PI #.Xe9AA1QzbIU

In Japan, Pope Francis urges rethink Pope urges world leaders to of reliance on nuclear energy renounce nuclear weapons Reiji Yoshida, Japan Times, November 25, The Asahi Shimbun, November 26, 2019 2019 Pope Francis appealed on Monday to Meeting survivors of the 2011 earthquake world leaders to ensure that nuclear and tsunami disaster, which triggered weapons are never used again, a day after meltdowns at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear he visited Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the power plant, visiting Pope Francis urged only cities ever to be hit by atomic bombs. caution in Tokyo on Monday regarding Nuclear disarmament has been a key decisions that could affect future theme of the pope’s trip to Japan, a generations, particularly concerning the use country not only haunted by the memory 54 Volume 11, Number 23 December 15, 2019

of the two attacks that ended World War II weapons that were given extra weight but also alarmed by the nuclear program and because they were delivered from the only missile tests of nearby North Korea. two cities to have suffered atomic bombings. Francis also met with survivors “(I) invite all persons of good will to of the 2011 Fukushima nuclear accident, encourage and promote every necessary comforting one teenager who had to flee means of dissuasion so that the destruction his home due to high radiation, and said generated by atomic bombs in Hiroshima two Masses packed with faithful who and Nagasaki will never take place again in lined up before dawn for the chance to take human history,” Francis told dignitaries part. It was the first visit to Japan by a including Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Abe pope in 38 years and only the second in said Japan is committed to a world free of history, after John Paul II. nuclear weapons but still depends on U.S. nuclear deterrence because of the worsening https://in.reuters.com/article/us-pope-japan- security environment in the region. leave/pope-francis-leaves-japan-after-trip- centred-on-anti-nuclear-message- Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said idINKBN1Y008C dependence on the U.S. nuclear umbrella, and even strengthening it, was “realistic and Tohoku reactor close to 2011 quake appropriate.” Abe’s conservative government, which is seeking to amend the epicenter OK’d to restart postwar pacifist Constitution to allow a full- The Asahi Shimbun, November 27, 2019 fledged military, has explained not signing Share the new U.N. treaty on the prohibition of nuclear weapons by saying it wants to be a Japan’s Tohoku Electric Power said on “bridge” between nuclear and non-nuclear Wednesday it has won initial regulatory states. approval to restart a reactor at its Onagawa nuclear power plant, more than Pyongyang has conducted seven missile tests 8 years after it was damaged in the since U.S. President Donald Trump met earthquake and tsunami that caused the North Korean leader Kim Jong Un earlier Fukushima disaster. Tohoku Electric said this year. One of North Korea’s top nuclear in a statement it has received a first green negotiators said on Friday it would be the light from Japan’s Nuclear Regulation fault of the United States if diplomacy on Authority to restart the No. 2 reactor at the issue broke down. Francis backs a U.N. Onagawa, subject to a public consultation treaty aiming to ban nuclear weapons and period. says even their possession for the purpose of deterrence is immoral. Nuclear Onagawa was the closest among Japan’s devastation was also a topic of the pope’s nuclear stations to the epicenter of the meeting on Monday with Emperor magnitude-9 quake in March 2011, which Naruhito. triggered a tsunami that killed nearly 20,000 people, as well as causing the worst http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/ atomic disaster since Chernobyl in 1986. AJ201911260021.html The station was swamped by the tsunami, but survived with its cooling system intact, Pope Francis leaves Japan after trip saving its reactors from the threat of centred on anti-nuclear message meltdowns similar to those that occurred at Tokyo Electric Power’s Fukushima No. Reuters, November 26, 2019 1 nuclear power plant to the south.

Pope Francis departed from Japan on http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/ Tuesday after a four-day visit highlighted AJ201911270077.html by pleas to world leaders to abandon nuclear 55 Nuclear, Missile & Space Digest

M. Op-Ed U.S.-India Defense Ties Grow Closer as Shared Concerns in Asia India Loom Are India and China Drifting into Zach Montague War? New York Times, November 20, 2019 Richard E. Caroll, India Policy Digest, November, 2019 As Indian helicopters touched down this week on the deck of an American warship Since the conclusion of the Indo-Chinese in the Bay of Bengal, what was billed as a War in 1962, an uneasy peace has reigned modest military simulation became the over the “McMahon Line” as China now latest sign of progress in a growing great trumpets the discovery of an estimated $60 power partnership in Asia. billion gold find, and the beginning of mining operations in Arunachal Pradesh The United States and India on Thursday region on the Chinese side of the Himalayas, will conclude the first land, sea and air along with plans to dam the headwaters of exercise in their history of military the major rivers in South East Asia and the exchanges, a step forward in White House publishing of new maps which shows efforts to deepen defense cooperation Arunachal Pradesh as “South Tibet.” between the countries. Tensions are rising. While China denies it will construct more dams affecting the The exercise, Tiger Triumph, brought Brahmaputra River, China also lied about together 500 American Marines and the construction of the first dam that was sailors, and about 1,200 Indian soldiers, constructed on the Brahmaputra, which sailors and air force personnel to train side- was finished in 2015. With both nations by-side for nine days. While the official becoming ever more nationalistic, the focus was to prepare for rescue operations possibility has increased. and disaster response, it also included search-and-seizure training and live-fire The Chinese government has also been drills. encouraging the settlement of the Han Chinese in this area in order to strengthen https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/20/world/ its claim to the Himalayas, and what China asia/india-military-exercises-trump.html claims is their rightful ownership of territory under dispute between China and India. Emerging nuclear crises that the Recently, the Chinese government has been world must brace for referring to Arunachal Pradesh, which is Richard N. Haass, Livemint, November 26, currently under India’s governance, as 2019 “Southern Tibet” or South Tibet. Since Tibet is under the military control of the Chinese Until just a few years ago, it looked as if in the Tibetan Plateau, China is following the problem posed by nuclear weapons the same political formula which it followed had been successfully managed, if not when it seized the South China Sea via the solved. American and Russian nuclear military buildup of artificial islands in the stockpiles had been reduced substantially Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of the from their Cold War highs, and arms- Philippines. control agreements were in place that limited both intermediate- and long-range https://intpolicydigest.org/2019/11/19/are-india- systems. But all of this now could come and-china-drifting-into-war/ undone. 56 Volume 11, Number 23 December 15, 2019

Progress over the last generation was not put a stop to making any fissile material limited to the US and Russia. Libya was to be used to make bombs. The uranium persuaded to abandon its nuclear ambitions, enrichment at Iran’s Fordow plant is being Israel thwarted Iraqi and Syrian nuclear considered as a fourth step away from the development, and South Africa relinquished agreement and has alarmed the Western its small nuclear arsenal. Iran signed the states that were a party to the agreement Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action back in 2015. (JCPOA), which constrained its ability to acquire many of the essential prerequisites Iran, which has always denied the non- of nuclear weapons. Most recently, the peaceful use of nuclear energy, is enriching United Nations Security Council imposed the Uranium at Fordow to the level of 4.5 tough sanctions aimed at persuading North per cent. The 2015 pact set a limit of Korea to give up its still modest nuclear enrichment of uranium at 3.7 per cent at weapons programme, clearing the way for the time when Iran was doing it at 20 per high-level talks between North Korean and cent level. However, a concentration of US officials. And, of course, no nuclear more than 90 per cent is required for both weapon has been used in combat for three- the Uranium’s isotope 235 and quarters of a century, since the US dropped Plutonium’s isotope 239 for making two nuclear bombs on Japan to hasten the nuclear weapons. These figures comply end of World War II. with Iran’s claim of using nuclear energy for peaceful purposes as it cannot build a This past summer, however, the US nuclear weapon program at this stage. withdrew from the 1987 Intermediate- Though the seven stages of Nuclear Fuel Range Nuclear Forces Treaty after it Cycle (NFC) are all peaceful elements yet concluded Russia had violated its terms. The Uranium enrichment and Plutonium’s treaty limiting longer-range US and Russian separation through reprocessing are the nuclear weapons will expire in 2021 unless most crucial aspects of NFC. However, it’s extended, and it’s not clear that it will enrichment and reprocessing capabilities be: both countries are committing resources do not inherently signal the intent to to modernize their existing arsenals. develop nuclear weapons. Highly- enriched Uranium and Plutonium can also https://www.livemint.com/opinion/columns/ be used in the nuclear fuel reactor to opinion-emerging-nuclear-crises-that-the-world- generate electricity. Thus, it becomes must-brace-for-11574788920248.html difficult to judge the intent of a state at a stage as early as this. Pakistan https://dailytimes.com.pk/501853/structural- Structural Prejudice, Nuclear prejudice-nuclear-technology-and-world-peace/ Technology and World Peace Maria Malik, Daily Times, November 18, Conventional balance of power 2019 between India and Pakistan Recently, the news of Iran stepping further Ahmad Faruqui, Daily Times, November away from the nuclear pact has surfaced 23, 2019 and ignited a debate of nuclear proliferation A simple way to measure the conventional once again. Iran, the P5 (the US, Russia, balance of power is to compare the size of China, France and UK) and EU made a the armed forces between the warring “Nuclear Deal Framework” back in 2015, siblings. Currently, India’s armed force is which the US had withdrawn from in 2018, twice as large as Pakistan’s; yielding a ratio and imposed economic sanctions on Iran. of 2:1. The ratio has hovered at 2:1 for the In response to the withdrawal and sanctions past two decades. During the 1965 war, it from the nuclear pact, Iran has also taken a was 4.2. During the 1971 war, it had detour from the pact. Earlier during dropped to 2.5:1. Of course, in 1971, the Obama’s administration, Iran had agreed to 57 Nuclear, Missile & Space Digest

ratio was heavily in India’s favour in East USA Pakistan. The Pakistani forces were worn out after months of fighting a tenacious America’s Iranian headache insurgency and the troops had been flown Livemint, November 18, 2019 there without their full complement of armour or artillery. They were without any When US President George W. Bush air cover once the Indian Air Force had put decided to invade Iraq in response to the the Dacca runway out of commission. terror attacks of 11 September 2001, few had foreseen what a set of leaked The chart below shows the Indian and documents appears to confirm: that Pakistani forces from 1964 to 1999. The Tehran now wields significant influence higher dots show the Indian forces and the over Baghdad. According to a report in lower dots show the Pakistan forces, The New York Times, hundreds of secret measured in thousands of armed personnel. intelligence reports have come to light that point to this. https://dailytimes.com.pk/505578/conventional- balance-of-power-between-india-and-pakistan/ Iranian domination of Iraq is hardly a big revelation, though. Like Iran, Iraq has a Rising irrationality in India’s Shia Muslim majority. Saddam Hussein’s nuclear thinking regime, the one deposed by the US, was largely Sunni. A power shift in Baghdad Tahir Nazir, Daily Times, November 30, was sure to empower followers of Islam’s 2019 minority Shia sect in this war-ravaged Pinning high hopes on “nuclear weapons country, and while Iraq’s Arabic milieu is capability” and reducing the role of human distinct from Iran’s Persian culture, a agency is against the logic of “deterrence sectarian affiliation has taken political theory.” precedence in the river basin of the Tigris and Euphrates. And we all know that deterrence work well when decision-makers behave in a “rational https://www.livemint.com/opinion/quick-edit/ manner.” Nonetheless, the deterrence theory opinion-america-s-iranian-headache- is silent about the behaviour of “an irrational 11574070720640.html actor.” According to the US Admiral, Arleigh Burke, the longest-serving Chief of California’s San Onofre nuclear Naval Operations in the US Navy’s history, plant is a Chernobyl waiting to “The major deterrent to war, is in a man’s happen mind.” Kate Brown, LA Times, November 19, 2019 And history has witnessed that technological Nuclear accidents often aren’t surprises. transformation has had a little effect on the Whistleblowers had warned of the dangers human inner self. Despite humans’ before such disasters occurred in 1986 in tremendous progress, basic human instincts Chernobyl, Ukraine, and 25 years later in are the same. The “threat to survival” has Fukushima, Japan. As one of the world’s been a central element in shaping human wealthiest and most technologically lives and their surroundings. advanced nations, the U.S. may be no Famous architect of nuclear deterrence better prepared. strategy, Bernard Brodie, once observed that Many U.S. states have aging nuclear “Thus far, the chief purpose of our military power plants brimming with four decades establishment has been to win wars. From of self-heating, highly corrosive and toxic now on its chief purpose must be to avert radioactive waste. Last month, the them. It can have almost no other useful California Coastal Commission gave purpose.” Southern California Edison permission to dismantle the San Onofre Nuclear https://dailytimes.com.pk/510012/rising-irratio- nality-in-indias-nuclear-thinking-dailytimes/ Generating Station and move its 3.55 58 Volume 11, Number 23 December 15, 2019

million pounds of nuclear waste from wet taxpayers upward of $93 trillion and is a to dry storage. complete government takeover of energy, agriculture, and transportation. In the https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2019-11- Senate, Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s 19/san-onofre-nuclear-plant-waste-radioactive opposition to building new nuclear plants and her support for phasing out existing How to advance nuclear energy in nuclear power is particularly alarming. the US Nuclear energy fuels our nation while Rita Baranwal; Washington Examiner, helping to provide America with November 21, 2019 environmental, economic, and national America is still a powerhouse in nuclear security. Anyone who wants to reduce innovation, and it’s time to show the rest of carbon emissions should support the world. protecting and expanding nuclear energy. It currently generates nearly 20% of our The United States was the first to harness country’s electricity without any carbon the atom that is now used to power our Navy, emissions. No other source contributes as fight cancer cells, protect our food, explore much to our country’s energy demands space, and even solve crimes. Much of the without emissions. According to the conversation today is about how we can Energy Information Administration, meet our clean energy goals. What better nuclear energy produces more carbon-free way to do that than with the clean and electricity than all other sources combined. reliable attributes of nuclear energy?Rig ht now, more than 60 companies are working https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/ on new reactor designs that will be op-eds/nuclear-is-a-necessary-part-of-our-clean- energy-future economically competitive, faster to build, more flexible to operate and generate less waste. This new generation of reactors is Trump official who suggested truly amazing. To use this powerful dropping nuclear bombs on technology to enhance today’s reactors and Afghanistan now responsible for build the reactors of tomorrow, the country arms control issues needs to reestablish infrastructure to test and qualify advanced materials that will make John Hudson these designs a reality. Washington Post, November 28, 2019 https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/ A former conservative talk radio host and op-eds/how-to-advance-nuclear-energy-in-the-us naval intelligence officer who suggested dropping nuclear bombs on Afghanistan Nuclear is a necessary part of our after the 9/11 attacks now works on arms clean-energy future control issues at the State Department, according to two U.S. officials familiar Rep. Rick Allen, Washington Examiner, with the matter. Frank Wuco, a senior November 22, 2019 adviser at the State Department’s Bureau Over the past year, clean energy has become of Arms Control, Verification and a hot topic, dominating news cycles and Compliance, came under scrutiny last year conversations around the country. I welcome when his past comments involving the this conversation and believe the American promotion of far-right conspiracy theories people deserve to get all the facts. Liberals surfaced. Some of those included keep offering unrealistic and costly energy debunked claims that former president “solutions.” Democratic Rep. Alexandria Barack Obama was not born in the United Ocasio-Cortez’s socialist “Green New Deal” States, former CIA director John Brennan is a prime example. It’s one of the worst converted to Islam, former attorney pieces of legislation I’ve ever seen during my general Eric H. Holder Jr. had been a time in Congress. It would cost American 59 Nuclear, Missile & Space Digest

member of the Black Panthers and former vessel more commonly known as Hillary Clinton aide Huma Abedin had ties a Victor III in NATO parlance. But unlike to the Muslim Brotherhood. in the Tom Clancy’s classic novel The Hunt for Red When a CNN investigation unearthed the October, Dolgoruky’s skipper was not remarks last year, Wuco was working at the planning to defect to the United States Department of Homeland Security. A along with his crew; rather the torpedo spokesman for the agency defended him at duel was part of a Russian naval exercise. the time, saying the comments had “no bearing on his ability to perform his job for https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/back- the American people.” 2017-russian-nuclear-submarines-fired-torpe- does-each-other-96496 Now Wuco works at the State Department, though some arms control advocates have Why Did Russia Launch 8 questioned his suitability for the area of arms Submarines All at Once? control given his past remarks. The State Department declined to comment. David Axe, National Interest Blog, November 21, 2019 During an exchange on the Dougherty Report radio show in 2016, Wuco was asked The Russian navy in mid-October 2019 why the United States doesn’t turn Syria and sortied eight submarines in the country’s Iran “into glass already.” “I don’t think it’s biggest undersea exercise since the Cold been our policy really to just start nuking War. The eight submarines, including six countries,” Wuco said. “I think if we were nuclear-powered ships, sailed from their going to have done that, my preference bases in northern Russia into the cold would have been to have dropped a couple waters of the Barents and Norwegian Seas. of low-yield tactical nuclear weapons over At the same time, an additional two boats Afghanistan the day after 9/11 to send a — the nuclear-powered Sierra-class attack definite message to the world that they had submarines Pskov and Nizhny Novgorod screwed up in a big way.” — sailed into roughly the same waters for tests and training. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national- security/trump-official-who-suggested-dropping- The 10 vessels represent around 20 percent nuclear-bombs-on-afghanistan-now-responsible- of the Russian submarine force. For for-arms-control-issues/2019/11/27/235f2976- comparison, the U.S. Pacific Fleet with its 10af-11ea-a533-90a7becf7713_story.html roughly 30 subs as recently as 2013 reliably could deploy eight boats on short notice. Russia The U.S. fleet in total operates more than 50 submarines split between the Pacific Back in 2017, Russian Nuclear and Atlantic Fleets. This number is Submarines Fired Torpedoes at Each shrinking. The eight vessels in the planned, Other 60-day Russian exercise are practicing protecting a “bastion” of open ocean in National Interest Blog, November 17, 2019 which Russian ballistic-missile submarines Russia still maintains a powerful submarine can hide. “The aim of the massive fleet. Back in May of 2017, the Russian operation is to get as far out to the North nuclear-powered attack Atlantic as possible without being submarine Obninsk fired a torpedo against discovered by NATO,” Barents one of Moscow’s newest nuclear-powered Observer noted, citing Norwegian ballistic missile submarines, Yuri Dolgoruky. intelligence sources speaking to news outlet NRK. The massive Project 955 Borei missile boat in turn launched a torpedo back at Obninsk, https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/why-did- a smaller Project 671RTMK Schuka-class russia-launch-8-submarines-all-once-97987 60 Volume 11, Number 23 December 15, 2019

World War III? In 1956, Russia Warsaw Pact—the Eastern European Almost Fought Britain, France, and satellites of the Soviet empire—can’t be Israel With Nuclear Weapons held hostage anymore. That’s the conclusion of a wargame by the RAND Michael Peck, National Interest Blog, Corporation. In RAND’s view, NATO’s November 22, 2019 nukes are not a deterrent to Russia because Europe would have far more to lose from The war began with an imperialist invasion a tactical nuclear exchange than Russia. to seize the Suez Canal. It ended with the Soviet Union threatening to nuke Britain, “The biggest takeaway from the wargame France and Israel. The 1956 British and exercise is that NATO lacks escalation French attack on Suez, and the parallel 1956 dominance, and Russia has the benefit of Israel-Egypt War, have to be among the it,” the study found. “In contemplating strangest conflicts in history. The cast of war in the Baltic states, once nuclear characters includes two fading empires attacks commence, NATO would have reluctant to admit their decline, a much stronger military incentives to charismatic Arab dictator, a paranoid terminate nuclear operations, if not all of Jewish state, a semi-fake war and a its operations, than Russia would.” superpower with nuclear weapons. https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/nato- The crisis began over who just owned the nukes-can%E2%80%99t-save-baltic-states- Suez Canal, gateway between Europe and russian-invasion-99222 Asia. In July 1956, Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser announced he would Nuclear reactors with a newly nationalize the canal, which was controlled proposed barrier could’ve still by European shareholders even after withstood Chernobyl and Egypt achieved independence from Britain (the same situation would later apply to the Fukushima United States and the Panama Canal). News Wise, November 26, 2019 Nasser’s decision was prompted by the cutoff of American funding for the massive In the aftermath of the notorious accidents Aswan Dam, after Nasser had signed a huge in the history of nuclear energy at Three arms deal with the Soviet bloc. Mile Island (1979), Chernobyl (1986) and Fukushima (2011), where all three have Nasser’s response was simple: if the turned into devastating disasters due to Americans and British wouldn’t subsidize meltdown in the core of a reactor, leading the Aswan Dam, then Egypt would in turn to the release of radiation into the nationalize the Suez Canal and use the toll environment, many countries around the revenues to build the dam itself. world have already pledged to a nuclear Unfortunately, he forgot a basic rule of power phase-out. history: there is nothing more dangerous than a declining empire. However, while actions towards the closure of all nuclear power plants in only https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/world-war- a few decades’ time are already well iii-1956-russia-almost-fought-britain-france-and- underway, the alternative energy sources israel-nuclear-weapons-98927 currently in operation have some major drawbacks: they rely mainly on non- NATO Nukes Can’t Save the Baltic renewable resources, produce significantly States From a Russian Invasion less energy compared with nuclear power plants and, most importantly, are Michael Peck, National Interest Blog, considered to be amongst the main November 23, 2019 contributors of carbon emissions and, Even if NATO resorts to tactical nuclear thereby, the climate crisis which humanity weapons, it still can’t save the Baltic States is now set to battle. from a Russian invasion. One reason? The 61 Nuclear, Missile & Space Digest

Nevertheless, a future powered by nuclear Russia set to dominate the Arctic energy might be neither a lost cause, nor a unless Canada acts quickly to game of “Russian roulette”, according to the address shipping concerns research team of Francesco D’Auria (University of Pisa, Italy), Nenad Debrecin David J. Bercuson, National Post, (University of Zagreb, Croatia) and Horst November 28, 2019 Glaeser (Global Research for Safety, The Arctic Ocean is warming and with it Germany). In a recent paper, published in maritime traffic on the Northwest and the open-access peer-reviewed Northeast passages is increasing. The only journal Nuclear Energy and Arctic nation that has the capacity to Technology and the result of 30-40 years of monitor and support such shipping is collaboration, they propose a new safety Russia. Neither Canada nor the United barrier to be implemented in large Light States have much to offer in the event of a Water Reactors around the world. Coming maritime disaster in North American at a fraction of the cost of the already Arctic waters. obsolete one that it is about to replace, this barrier is expected to reduce the probability More famously the Franklin Expedition of of core melt to that of a large meteorite 1845 under British captain Sir John hitting the site. Franklin brought two Royal Navy ships, HMS Terror and HMS Erebus, to an https://www.newswise.com/articles/nuclear- untimely end when both vessels became reactors-with-a-newly-proposed-barrier-could-ve- withstood-chernobyl-and-fukushima ice bound in Victoria Strait and all 129 men, including Franklin, perished.

Meet the Terrifying Russian The waters to the north of Siberia, Canada ‘Stealth’ Submarine That Scares the and Alaska are now open in limited U.S. Navy periods each year as the ice retreats and limited shipping has started off both Arctic Sebastien Roblin, National Interest Blog, coasts. North of Russia shipping from November 27, 2019 Europe to Asia now takes place on an The Akula is old, but it still packs a intermittent basis. In Canadian Arctic dangerous—and secretive—punch. The waters, cruise ships have sailed the Soviet Union produced hot-rod submarines Northwest Passage on occasion. In both that could swim faster, take more damage, northern sea routes, point-to-point and dive deeper than their American shipping takes place regularly during the counterparts—but the U.S. Navy remained summer season. fairly confident it had the Soviet submarines https://nationalpost.com/opinion/david-j- outmatched because they were all extremely bercuson-russia-set-to-dominate-the-arctic- noisy. Should the superpowers clash, the unless-canada-acts-quickly-to-address-shipping- quieter American subs had better odds of concerns detecting their Soviet counterparts first, and greeting them with a homing torpedo. However, that confidence was dented in the Russia, China, Arms Control, and mid-1980s, when the Soviet Navy launched the Value of New START its Akula-class nuclear-powered attack Thomas Countryman, Arms Control, submarines. Thirty years later they remain November 2019 the mainstay of the Russian nuclear attack submarine fleet—and are quieter than the Until President Donald Trump took office majority of their American counterparts. in 2017, every U.S. president for the previous 50 years proposed and pursued https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/meet- negotiations with Moscow as a means to terrifying-russian-stealth-submarine-scares-us- regulate destabilizing nuclear arms navy-100787 62 Volume 11, Number 23 December 15, 2019

competition and reduce the risk of the Two weeks ago the IAEA confirmed to United States and its allies being destroyed member states that environmental samples in a nuclear war. They sought and taken at a still unspecified site had shown concluded a series of treaties, with strong traces of uranium that was processed but bipartisan support, that have made the not enriched. United States and the world much safer. “We have continued our interactions with Nearly exactly 50 years ago, for example, Iran since then, but have not received any the United States and Russia opened the additional information and the matter Strategic Arms Limitation Talks on Nov. 17, remains unresolved,” acting IAEA 1969. Lead U.S. negotiator Gerard Smith Director General Cornel Feruta told a wrote that his opening message that day quarterly meeting of his agency’s 35-nation was that “[t]he limitation of strategic arms Board of Governors in Vienna. is in the mutual interests of our country and the Soviet Union.” What was true then is https://www.reuters.com/article/us-iran- true now. Sadly, Trump has not continued nuclear-iaea/u-n-nuclear-watchdog-presses- the efforts of his predecessors. The United iran-for-answers-on-uranium-traces- idUSKBN1XV18K States abandoned the 1987 Intermediate- Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty this year and appears ready to allow the 2010 New US cancels civil nuclear Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New cooperation waiver for Iran START) to lapse in 2021. If New START Matthew Lee, Associated Press , November expires, there will be no legally binding, 19, 2019 verifiable limits on the world’s two largest nuclear arsenals for the first time in nearly Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said half a century. Monday he is canceling one of four sanctions waivers that had allowed https://www.armscontrol.org/act/2019-11/ foreign companies to work with Iran’s features/russia-china-arms-control-value-new- civilian nuclear program without U.S. start penalties. Pompeo also warned Iran’s leadership not to crack down on protests West Asia that recent fuel price increases have Iran sparked. The waivers are among the last remaining components of the 2015 nuclear U.N. nuclear watchdog presses Iran deal the Trump administration withdrew for answers on uranium traces from last year. Pompeo said the waiver for Iran’s once-secret Fordow site will be Francois Murphy, Reuters, November 21, eliminated Dec. 15. Iran recently 2019 announced it would resume uranium enrichment at the fortified facility, which The U.N. nuclear watchdog’s top inspector is built into a mountain. will travel to Tehran next week to press Iran to finally explain the origin of uranium “The right amount of uranium enrichment traces found at an undeclared site, the for the world’s largest state sponsor of agency’s acting chief said on Thursday. terrorism is zero,” he said. “There is no Reuters first reported in September that the legitimate reason for Iran to resume International Atomic Energy Agency found enrichment at this previously clandestine the uranium traces at the site that Israeli site. Iran should reverse its activity there Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu drew immediately.” Iran hawks in Congress attention to in a speech last year, calling it a have been pressing Pompeo to eliminate “secret atomic warehouse”. Tehran has said all the waivers but have most strenuously the site is a carpet-cleaning facility. objected to the one that allowed Russian, 63 Nuclear, Missile & Space Digest

Chinese and European companies to work The missile and nuclear threat at Fordow. The waivers for Fordow as well from Iran as the Bushehr nuclear power station, the Arak heavy water plant and the Tehran Ephraim Asculai, Jerusalem Post, Research Reactor were last extended in late November 17, 2019 October. Two areas of Iranian activity in recent https://apnews.com/ times can be seen both as provocative and 584e02d1e6d94cc2ae4c5038971d696c as tests of the limits that can be reached without incurring serious penalties from Inside Iran’s plot to attack Saudi the international community: missiles and nuclear. Arabia - analysis Although UN Security Council Resolution Reuters, November 25, 2019 2231 dealt with Iranian nuclear-weapons Four months before a swarm of drones and capable ballistic missiles, it failed to deal missiles crippled the world’s biggest oil with or even mention the issue of cruise processing facility in Saudi Arabia, Iranian missiles. While this failure had been security officials gathered at a heavily mentioned in the past, nobody seemed to fortified compound in Tehran. The group notice or attach much importance to it. included the top echelons of the Islamic The international community took notice Revolutionary Guard Corps, an elite branch of this lack only following the September of the Iranian military whose portfolio 2019 Iranian attack on Saudi oil facilities, includes missile development and covert which employed both cruise missiles and operations. The main topic that day in May: UAVs (drones). How to punish the United States for pulling out of a landmark nuclear treaty and re- That attack not only proved the viability imposing economic sanctions on Iran, moves of these Iranian weapons, but showed that have hit the Islamic Republic hard. their capabilities in pre-programmed defense-avoiding routes and their With Major General Hossein Salami, leader utilization as precise weapons. The known of the Revolutionary Guards, looking on, a range of the cruise missiles is shorter than senior commander took the floor. “It is time the distance from mainland Iran to Israel, to take out our swords and teach them a and the range of Iranian UAVs is as yet lesson,” the commander said, according to unknown. However, with the emerging four people familiar with the meeting. presence of Iranian forces in Syria and Iraq, the range issue could perhaps be Hard-liners in the meeting talked of solved for the Iranians, at the same time attacking high-value targets, including forcing Israel to take strong preventive American military bases. actions, which it did. How long can this go on without causing a major crisis? This Yet, what ultimately emerged was a plan question cannot be answered at this time. that stopped short of direct confrontation that could trigger a devastating U.S. https://www.jpost.com/Opinion/The-missile- response. Iran opted instead to target oil and-nuclear-threat-from-Iran-608100 installations of America’s ally, Saudi Arabia, a proposal discussed by top Iranian military East Asia officials in that May meeting and at least four that followed. North Korea

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-saudi-aramco- N. Korea’s ultimatum attacks-iran-special-rep/special-report-time-to- take-out-our-swords-inside-irans-plot-to-attack- Korea Times, November 15, 2019 saudi-arabia-idUSKBN1XZ16H North Korea said Friday it has sent an “ultimatum” to South Korea that it will 64 Volume 11, Number 23 December 15, 2019

demolish all facilities owned by South unimaginable that US President Donald Korean firms at its Mount Geumgang Trump, as he did when he decided to deal Resort. The Unification Ministry expressed directly with Kim, will go for a bold and concerns about the move, calling for unconventional move to break the negotiations in accordance with inter- impasse: a proposal to pull US forces out Korean agreements. The North’s of South Korea in exchange for North announcement followed a report about Korea’s final, complete and verifiable three weeks ago that its leader Kim Jong-un denuclearization. Such a last-gasp had ordered the removal of the facilities from attempt to keep diplomacy alive may seem the resort, vowing to redevelop the area attractive to the impulsive and mercurial using the country’s own resources. The Trump, but it would inevitably confront a North then asked the South to remove the myriad of daunting negotiating, assets from Geumgang, or it would demolish diplomatic, political and technical them. problems that would likely strangle the idea in its crib. Pyongyang’s Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said the ultimatum, sent Nov. 11 Will Trump Pull the Trigger on a US Force to the South, carried a warning that if the Withdrawal? For Trump, who has South persist in its “useless assertion,” the demonstrated a penchant for demanding North will tear down the facilities an exorbitant increase in Seoul’s unilaterally. contribution to US defense costs on the peninsula, the departure of US forces from “We will develop Mount Geumgang to be South Korea would have significant the world renowned tourist resort as its personal and political appeal. As far owner for the sake of the nation and back as his time as a private real estate posterity,” KCNA said. “There is no room developer, Trump has accused US allies for South Korea to find its place there.” The and partners of ripping the American report said the “timetable” has been set, people off. The president has been most indicating that the North will keep ignoring passionate when discussing South Korea dialogue offers from the South to go ahead and Japan, two wealthy countries he with the redevelopment project without thinks are taking advantage of the United Seoul’s participation. If the North destroys States’ generosity. the facilities at the Geumgang resort, it will prove again that North Korea is a risky place https://www.38north.org/2019/11/ for investment. Given the symbolic meaning ddepetris112119/ of the Mount Geumgang Resort for inter- Korean peace, the unilateral move raises Time Is Running Out for Trump’s doubts over the North’s commitment to North Korean Diplomacy, improving relations with the South. Analysts Say http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/opinion/2019/ Choe Sang-Hun, The New York Times, 11/137_278789.html November 28, 2019 Troops for Nukes: Should the US Kim Jong-un, North Korea’s leader, has Trade Its Forces in South Korea for said that the United States has until the North Korean Denuclearization? end of the year to make a new proposal to create a breakthrough in stalled Daniel R. Depetris, 38 North, November 21, negotiations on denuclearizing the Korean 2019 Peninsula. The looming deadline — which North Korea has issued repeated warnings US-DPRK negotiations on denuclearization about — carries the implicit threat that the are on life support and there are bleak country could return to its alarming prospects for recovery before the end-of-the- behavior of the past by ending its self- year deadline for progress declared by North imposed moratorium on nuclear tests and Korean leader Kim Jong Un. It is not launching long-range missiles capable of 65 Nuclear, Missile & Space Digest

hitting American cities. On Thursday, Pyongyang threatened to walk away from it launched two short-range rockets, its 13th the talks earlier this month rocket or missile test since May. https://www.forbes.com/sites/isabeltogoh/2019/ “Today, we sit on top of a live volcano,” said 11/28/north-korea-test-fires-rockets-ahead-of- Robert L. Carlin, a former nuclear negotiator nuclear-talks-deadline/#573d3c0a55a3 at the State Department and longtime North Korea observer, describing a rapidly An Unexpected Way to Change deteriorating situation on the peninsula North Korea’s Nuclear Ambitions during a lecture this month at Yonsei University in Seoul, the South Korean Hun Park, National Interest, November 30, capital. “We don’t have a lot of time to back 2019 away.” In the past month, North Korea has Given that air pollution doesn’t recognise warned that the Trump borders, there are already several administration should not even “dream of” emissions-reduction projects underway discussing denuclearization without first that will require cooperation between ending its “hostile” policies, including Asian nations. To meet its obligations, smothering economic sanctions. It swore South Korea has pledged to buy emissions “shocking punishment” if Washington were credits on the international market, to ignore the year-end deadline. offsetting 11.3% of its business-as-usual emissions in 2030. That is 96.1 million https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/28/world/asia/ tonnes of carbon dioxide-equivalent north-korea-trump-nuclear-talks-deadline.html emissions – already more than North Korea’s total greenhouse gas emissions in North Korea Test Fires Rockets 2013 (78 million tonnes). Because North Ahead Of Nuclear Talks Deadline Korea has its own obligations now, foreign Isabel Togoh, Forbes, November 28, 2019 countries including South Korea can no longer earn carbon credits from their North Korea broke a monthlong pause in carbon-offsetting projects in the country. missile tests with the launch of two rockets into the sea on Thursday morning, according But if South Korea provides technical to South Korea’s military, as the clock ticks assistance such as satellite monitoring of down on Kim Jong-un’s year-end deadline North Korea’s reforestation progression for the restart of nuclear talks with the and then can obtain the country’s United States. South Korea’s defense “informed consent”, a mutual effort to ministry said two unidentified projectiles generate carbon credits could be discussed. were launched off the North’s coast into the sea on Thursday afternoon local https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/unex- time, Reuters reported. Japan’s coastguard pected-way-change-north-koreas-nuclear- ambitions-100297 said it was monitoring where the missile might land, but said it did not enter its airspace. South Korea

It is the first test launch since October 31, Suggesting plebiscite on energy when the North fired two suspected missiles denuclearization into the sea. Kim Myong-sik, Korea Herald, November 20, 2019 North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has set a deadline of December 31 for Passing the halfway point in his five-year denuclearization talks with the U.S. after tenure, President Moon Jae-in’s approval negotiations stalled in October. North Korea rate hovers just above the 40 percent mark, has pushed for a lifting of sanctions and half the level immediately after his election pullback of U.S. military forces in South in May 2017. Woes grow among Korea in return for abandoning, or limiting, manufacturers, traders and consumers, its nuclear weapons program, but security threats loom large and political 66 Volume 11, Number 23 December 15, 2019

groups are sharpening hostility. Amid rising delivery vehicles. Fears of U.S. discontent, the energy denuclearization abandonment will lead many to question policy has emerged as a top destabilizing whether Japan may indeed pursue its own issue. University students at nuclear science nuclear arsenal — which is technically departments see no future in their chosen feasible given the country’s technology and careers, as the nation’s nuclear power plants, availability of nuclear material. operating 25 reactors, are all to be shut down by the target year of 2060. No new https://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2019/11/ nuclear plants will be built except for the 28/commentary/japan-commentary/revisiting- three already under construction. There will japans-nuclear-arms-debate/#.Xe9AEFQzbIU be no service extension, although renewal is easy and common, should leftist rule N. Miscellaneous continue. Should the Government Subsidize Local builders and parts suppliers are Nuclear Power? Advocates Square making layoffs while desperately seeking Off overseas contracts, yet few potential clients The Wall Street Journal, November 19, see strong reliability in firms that have all 2019 but lost local demand. The media incessantly reports scandals involving renewable energy The U.S. has made a big bet on subsidizing businesses and people around power. nuclear power. But is it the right one? Nuclear-power proponents argue that the http://www.koreaherald.com/ plants are the most reliable source of green view.php?ud=20191119000891&ACE_SEARCH=1 power around. But critics say renewables are improving steadily, removing any need Japan for nuclear

Revisiting Japan’s nuclear arms Some states have provided billions of debate dollars in aid packages to keep struggling Michael Macarthur Bosack, Japan Times, nuclear plants operating. Meanwhile, the November 28, 2019 federal government offers a loan- guarantee program for nuclear plants, This week, Pope Francis made a historic visit and the Energy Department plans to to Hiroshima and Nagasaki. On Sunday, the spend $115 million to help develop pontiff was clear in his call for global nuclear advanced fuels for next-generation disarmament, stating, “The use of atomic reactors, worried that the country may be energy for purposes of war is immoral. … falling behind overseas rivals in nuclear- As is the possession of atomic weapons.” power technology. This message resonated with the large segment of the Japanese public who https://www.wsj.com/articles/should-the- vehemently opposes nuclear weapons and government-subsidize-nuclear-power-advocates- prompted a question to Chief Cabinet square-off-11574211794 Secretary Yoshihide Suga about Japan’s own reliance on the U.S. nuclear umbrella. Suga Is Nuclear Power a Solution for responded that the long-standing policy is Climate Change? “realistic and appropriate.” Edis Osmanbasic, Engineering.com, Suga’s response may have been concise and November 22, 2019 resolute, but we are likely to see a revisiting Climate scientists have assessed that all of the nuclear weapons debate in Japan. The coal-fired power plants should be phased region has witnessed North Korea’s out by 2030 in the Organization for development of increasingly devastating Economic Co-operation and Development nuclear technology and more sophisticated (OECD) countries and by 2050 in the rest 67 Nuclear, Missile & Space Digest

of the world. The logical question is, if potential closing of a few more nuclear climate scientists don’t want us to use fossil plants in the North East will increase gas fuels, which energy source should serve as use even more and its concomitant CO2 the basis for electricity generation? emissions.

Although renewable energy is the go-to https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamesconca/2019/ green energy solution, due to its unreliable 11/25/nuclear-power-does-slow-climate-change/ nature—wind is not always blowing, the sun #2e5ab1587202 is not always shining, etc.—it likely cannot meet the requirements for the main electrical Cyber Battles, Nuclear Outcomes? energy source. In this article, let’s discuss Dangerous New Pathways to nuclear energy as a best possible alternative Escalation to fossil fuels, despite its bad reputation in the environmental and human aspects. Michael T. Klare, Arms Control, November We’ll also review the various nuclear energy 28, 2019 technologies and examine the economics of In January 2018, details of the Trump nuclear sources. administration’s Nuclear Posture Review In recent years, one of the world’s loudest (NPR) were posted online by the discussions is how to moderate the impacts Huffington Post, provoking widespread of human activities on the environment— alarm over what were viewed as the energy as the most dominant factor dangerous shifts in U.S. nuclear policy. affecting the environment. Consequently, Arousing most concern was a call for the the term “greenness of energy supply” has acquisition of several types of low-yield received the most attention in the effort to nuclear weapons, a proposal viewed by reduce environmental impacts. many analysts as increasing the risk of nuclear weapons use. Another initiative https://www.engineering.com/DesignerEdge/ incorporated in the strategy document DesignerEdgeArticles/ArticleID/19734/Is- also aroused concern: the claim that an Nuclear-Power-a-Solution-for-Climate- enemy cyberattack on U.S. nuclear Change.aspx command, control, and communications (NC3) facilities would constitute a “non- Nuclear Power Does Slow Climate nuclear strategic attack” of sufficient Change magnitude to justify the use of nuclear weapons in response. James Conca, Forbes, November 25, 2019 Under the Obama administration’s NPR Indeed it does. Contrary to claims by those report, released in April 2010, the who just don’t like nuclear, every time circumstances under which the United nuclear plants close, carbon emissions go up. States would consider responding to non- Using opaque financial jargon, grandiose nuclear attacks with nuclear weapons claims for renewables, and political spin, were said to be few. “The United States doesn’t change this. There a number of will continue to…reduce the role of examples. The unnecessary closing of the nuclear weapons in deterring non-nuclear Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Station at attacks,” the report stated. Although little the end of 2014 led to an increase in fossil was said about whatsort of non-nuclear fuel use, specifically natural gas, that attacks might be deemed severe enough completely filled the gap. Same with San to justify a nuclear response, cyberstrikes Onofre in California. were not identified as one of these In a report on the impact of shutting down https://www.armscontrol.org/act/2019-11/ Indian Point Nuclear Plant, the NYISO said features/cyber-battles-nuclear-outcomes- three natural gas plants would replace the dangerous-new-pathways-escalation lost nuclear power when Indian Point completely shuts down in 2021. The 68 Volume 11, Number 23 December 15, 2019

O. Think Tanks so-called triple-disaster, the earthquake and tsunami that killed 18,000 people in Ditch the Bomb, not the NPT 2011 and led to the nuclear meltdowns at Sergio Duarte, Bulletin of Atomic Science, Fukushima Daichi. After hearing from November 18, 2019 three survivors, Francis, a Vatican press release said, talked about the people “who At 2017’s fiftieth anniversary celebration of lived in the affected areas” and who “now the signing of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation feel forgotten by others,” and “must Treaty (NPT) in Washington, DC, some face ongoing problems: contaminated participants enthused that the treaty should land and forests and the long-term effects last for the next five decades and beyond. of radiation.” “In addition to scientific or medical concerns, there is also the On the contrary, however, a recent immense challenge of restoring the fabric provocative and timely article in the Bulletin of society. Until social bonds in local of the Atomic Scientists by Tom Sauer and communities are re-established, and Joelien Pretorius (“Is it time to ditch the people can once more enjoy safe and stable NPT?”) expressed serious doubts about the lives, the Fukushima accident will not be NPT’s longevity and actual usefulness, in fully resolved,” Francis said. view of the disappointing implementation of some of its key provisions. “In turn, this involves, as my brother bishops in Japan have emphasized, In response, Adam Scheinman, a concern about the continuing use of recognized expert in arms control and nuclear power; for this reason, they have nuclear non-proliferation matters, wrote called for the abolition of nuclear power “No, it is not time to ditch the NPT,” which plants.” disagreed sharply the former’s premise, and extolled the enduring value of the NPT— https://thebulletin.org/2019/11/in-japan-pope- pointing out its contribution to world francis-denounces-nuclear-weapons-and- security and stability. questions-nuclear-power/ In my view, the perceived shortcomings of the NPT are not sufficient grounds to justify What happened after an explosion mass withdrawal. at a Russian disease research lab called VECTOR? https://thebulletin.org/2019/11/ditch-the-bomb- not-the-npt/# Filippa Lentzos, Bulletin of Atomic Scientist, November 27, 2019 In Japan, Pope Francis denounces At a huge Soviet-era virology campus in nuclear weapons and questions Siberia called VECTOR, a sudden, nuclear power unexpected explosion in September blew out the windows and set parts of a Matt Field, Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, , building ablaze. Around the world, people November 26, 2019 sat up and took notice. Global public health and security officials were concerned the Pope Francis moved past the position of his explosion might have affected labs holding predecessors and denounced any use of dangerous viruses. Biosecurity experts nuclear weapons as a “crime against the questioned whether it was a deliberate dignity of human beings” during a visit to attack, and international security analysts Japan this past week. Francis travelled to the and biodefense experts deliberated how to atomic-bombed cities of Hiroshima and read the situation—acutely aware that Nagasaki and subsequently met with victims biosafety breaches in a similar facility 40 of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami that years ago had caused a large and deadly crippled the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear anthrax outbreak that eventually exposed Plant. the Soviet Union’s prohibited biowarfare In Tokyo, the pope met with survivors of the activities. 69 Nuclear, Missile & Space Digest

From media reports on the explosion, it was Set-to-Become-a-Global-Manufacturing-Hub- unclear exactly which parts of VECTOR, Increasing-the-Demand-for-Nuclear-Power-in- and which labs, had been affected by the the-Future.html explosion and fire. Of particular concern was the facility housing the unique Update to OFAC’s list of Specially smallpox-causing variola virus, one of just Designated Nationals (SDN) and two such repositories in the world, both Blocked Persons routinely monitored by the World Health Organization. Following the media reports, US Department of the Treasury, Office of VECTOR management responded to queries Foreign Assets Control, November 22, from the World Health Organization with 2019 reassurance that the smallpox repository The SDN list has recently been updated. had not been affected, according to an The following individual has been added organization spokesperson. From the to OFAC’s SDN List: AZARI JAHROMI, organization’s perspective, there was no Mohammad Javad, Iran; DOB 16 Sep need to follow up with a visit or ad hoc 1981; POB Jahrom, Iran; Additional inspection. Sanctions Information - Subject to https://thebulletin.org/2019/11/what-happened- Secondary Sanctions; Gender Male after-an-explosion-at-a-russian-disease-research- (individual) [IRAN] [IRAN-TRA]. lab-called-vector/ https://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/ sanctions/OFAC-Enforcement/Pages/ P. Reports and Original Documents 20191122.aspx India’s Thorium (Nuclear Fuel) Market Outlook to 2023 - India is Issuance of New and Amended Set to Become a Global Iran-related Frequently Asked Manufacturing Hub, Increasing the Questions Demand for Nuclear Power in the US Department of the Treasury, Office of Future Foreign Assets Control, November 27, 2019 Research and Markets, November 26, 2019 Today, the Department of the Treasury’s The ”Thorium (Nuclear Fuel) Market in Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) India (2018-2023) Share based on Power is updating existing FAQ 303 and FAQ Resources (Thermal, Renewable, Hydro, 804, and is publishing three new Iran- Nuclear) Trade Analysis (Export-Import related FAQs. Frequently Asked Questions Data) Drivers, Challenges and Competitive Related to the “Snap-back” of Iranian Landscape” report has been added sanctions in November, 2018630. Is the to ResearchAndMarkets.com’s offering. provision or delivery of goods or services to an Iranian counterparty after The nuclear fuel market comprises of November 4, 2018 allowed? The wind- companies, industry associations, and down period has ended and the United governmental bodies which are involved in States intends to fully enforce the sanctions mining, refining, and storage of nuclear that have come back into effect. The fuels and construction of nuclear reactors. provision or delivery of goods or services The major application of nuclear fuels is in and/or the extension of additional loans the nuclear reactor for sustaining a nuclear or credits to an Iranian counterparty after chain reaction required for generating November 4, 2018 — even pursuant to electric energy. The nuclear fuels like written contracts or written agreements uranium-235 and thorium-232 are entered into prior to May 8, 2018 — may radioactive metals which are fissile in nature. result in the imposition of U.S. sanctions https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/ unless such activities are exempt from 2019/11/26/1952543/0/en/India-s-Thorium- regulation, authorized by OFAC, or Nuclear-Fuel-Market-Outlook-to-2023-India-is- 70 Volume 11, Number 23 December 15, 2019

otherwise not sanctionable. The United States maintains authorizations and exceptions under U.S. sanctions that allow for the sale of agricultural commodities, food, medicine, and medical devices to Iran by U.S. persons and non-U.S. persons. However, these authorizations and exceptions do not apply to transactions involving persons on OFAC’s List of Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons (SDN List) that have been designated in connection with Iran’s support for international terrorism or proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, including designated Iranian financial institutions or the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), or activity that is subject to other sanctions (see FAQ 637). [11-05-2018]

https://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/faqs/ Sanctions/Pages/faq_iran.aspx#805 71 Nuclear, Missile & Space Digest

Contribute Articles

Indian Pugwash Society welcomes research articles from students, researchers and faculties on Space, Missile, nuclear technology, WMD proliferation, arms control, disarmament, export controls and other related issues. Articles should be crisply written and should address contemporary debates in the policy arena. Manuscripts submitted for the consideration of the Indian Pugwash Society should be original contributions and should not have been submitted for consideration anywhere else. For further assistance, please contact us at : [email protected]

The Indian Pugwash Society aims to promote the study, discussion, and knowledge of and to stimulate general interest in, and to diffuse knowledge in regards to problems relating on WMD proliferation, arms control, disarmament, space security, export controls, nuclear technology and other related issues. This newsletter is part of the project "Emerging Nuclear Order in Asia: Implications for India" sanctioned to us by Department of Atomic Energy-Board of Research in Nuclear Sciences (DAE-BRNS).

Disclaimer: Data included in this newsletter is only for educational purpose and wider dissemination. All liabilities and rights belong to respective writers & authors.

Prepared by :

Ms Diya Deep Singh Ms Raj Rajeshwari Singh Ms Rishika Chauhan

Indian Pugwash Society

No.1, Development Enclave, Rao Tula Ram Marg, Near USI, Delhi-110010 Tel. No (91-11) 2671-7983 Fax No. (91-11)2615-4192 Email: [email protected]