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

Volume 11, Number 17 A Fortnightly Newsletter from the Indian Pugwash Society September 15, 2019

Convenor A. ó No first use nuclear policy may change in future, says Rajnath Singh on India's Amb. Sujan R. Chinoy defence strategy ó India says committed to 'no first use' of nuclear weapons for now ó Supply of equipment for Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant unit III, IV completed by Russia ó Chandrayaan-2 precisely inserted in defined lunar orbit: ISRO Chairman ó ISRO aims for Chandrayaan-2 landing at 1.55 AM on September 07, says Dr K. Sivan ó PM Modi congratulates team ISRO as Chandrayaan 2 completes entry into Moon's orbit ó Chandrayaan 2 enters lunar orbit, 'biggest milestone' achieved Executive Council ó ISRO releases first image of Moon captured by Chandrayaan-2 ó NSG Membership Crucial For Growth Of Nuclear Power: PM Modi To UN Cdr. (Dr.) Probal K. Ghosh Chief ó Imran Khan should stop making empty threats: Naqvi on 's nuke warning Air Marshal S. G. Inamdar ó India, Russia to seal nuclear pact next week (Retd.) Dr. Roshan Khanijo B. Amb. R. Rajagopalan ó US puts Chinese nuclear giant, subsidiaries on Entity List to ban exports Dr. Rajesh Rajagopalan ó Chinese missile destroyer "Xi'an" makes technical stop in Egypt's Alexandria ó China's first commercial carrier rocket Jielong-1 launches satellites into orbit Shri Dinesh Kumar ó Beijing warns US of 'consequences' after Donald Trump approves US$8 billion Yadvendra sale of fighter jets to Taiwan ó Smart Dragon rocket makes debut flight, launches 3 satellites ó China urges U.S. to immediately stop arms sales plan to Taiwan ó China uses advanced weapons in plateau military drills ó 's accusation that Chinese aircraft targeted Japanese warships 'purely speculation' ó China warns of new global arms race ó China urges U.S. to exercise restraint on armament development after missile test ó China's new carrier 'better and can carry more fighters' ó Private Chinese space firm successfully launches satellite into orbit ó Chinese military says Taiwan's US$8 billion deal to buy US F-16 fighter jets is a waste of money because they will be 'useless' against the PLA ó Chinese mainland operates 47 nuclear reactors, world's third most

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Tel. No (91-11) 2671-7983 Fax No. (91-11)2615-4192 2 Volume 11, Number 17 September 15, 2019

ó White paper shows transparency of China's national defense: expert ó China launches world-leading unmanned warship ó Russia, US trade barbs over INF collapse, China says no interest in trilateral treaty ó China's hypersonic DF-17 missile threatens regional stability, analyst warns ó China's Chang'e-4 probe resumes work for ninth lunar day ó China urges U.S. to stop malicious hyping on South China Sea ó China's navy 'set to pick J-20 stealth jets for its next generation carriers' ó Chinese aviation and space development commands attention in Russia ó China to show off advanced nuclear weapons in National Day parade and 'send message to US about capabilities' ó Chinese exhibitors display laser weapon, stealth target drone at Russian expo ó Russia offers rocket engine tech as China's Long March 5 struggles to get off the ground ó U.S. accountable for all Taiwan arms sales consequences: spokesperson ó China's KZ-1A rocket launches two satellites ó China's nuclear capabilities maturing ó Chinese, US scientists develop AI technology to help detect submarines in uncharted waters

C. Pakistan ó India, Pakistan once again on verge of full-scale war ó Kashmir a nuclear flashpoint: Pakistan army spokesman Asif Ghafoor ó Imran Khan: World must seriously consider safety of India's nuclear arsenal under Modi govt ó India's nuclear threat reflective of defeat: Qureshi ó Pakistan Leader Vents Frustration at India: 'No Point in Talking to Them' ó After Imran Khan's nuclear threat, Sheikh Rashid predicts 'full-blown Indo-Pak war' in Sep-Oct ó Pakistan test fires Ghaznavi missile to raise war spectre, to focus next on Geneva meet ó Pakistan successfully carried out night training launch of surface to surface ballistic missile Ghaznavi, capable of delivering multiple types of warheads upto a range of 290 kilometers. ó Pakistan tests night launch of N-capable ballistic missile

D. USA ó Regulators formalise technical collaboration on SMR regulation ó Three Mile Island, site of America's nuclear power blunder, set to close-down in few weeks ó What a mysterious explosion tells us about Russia's 'doomsday weapon' ó Pentagon Tests New Missile System, Weeks After a U.S.-Russia Nuclear Arms Treaty Collapsed ó Pompeo warns of 'new turmoil' if U.N. arms embargo on lifted in 2020 ó Trump denies report he wanted to nuke hurricanes ó Sale of Nuclear Power Plant for Decommissioning Finalized ó Axios: Trump floated the idea of using nuclear bombs to stop hurricanes headed for US ó US intel report says mysterious Russian explosion was triggered by recovery mission of nuclear-powered missile, not a test 3 Nuclear, Missile & Space Digest

E. Europe ó UK looking to complete British Steel sale to Turkish military fund in coming weeks ó Poland may join U.S.-led mission in Strait of Hormuz ó Bulgaria nuclear project attracts China and S.Korea interest-sources ó Russia's Rosatom interested in Bulgaria nuclear plant tender ó UK's Wood to sell nuclear energy unit for $305 million ó Macron says will meet Iranians before G7 summit ó Czechs pick Bell for $622 million army helicopter deal ó EDF gets OK to restart Scottish nuclear plant where cracks found ó Slovenia PM pushes for construction of new nuclear reactor ó Norway nuclear monitor backtracks on theory of second Russia blast ó UK, Germany, France warn on South China Sea tensions ó UK calls for broad support to tackle Gulf shipping threats ó France abandons research into fourth-generation nuclear-Le Monde ó EU will keep working to preserve Iran nuclear deal: Mogherini

F. Russia ó Ecologist Says Russian Nuclear Agency Committed Crime by Conducting Test Near City ó Russia completes MBIR hydraulic tests ó Russia says no plans to install new missiles unless U.S. deploys them ó Russia, China and vie for Bulgarian nuclear project ó Nuclear monitoring stations went mysteriously quiet after Russian missile facility explosion ó Russia to launch floating nuclear reactor ó Russia's floating plant heads for final destination ó Putin To Russian Military: 'Prepare A Symmetrical Response' To U.S. Missile Test ó Russia's first seaborne nuclear power plant sets sail across Arctic ó Earth's final frontier: Russia's floating nuclear power plant leaves for new Arctic home ó Russia says it launched 2 ballistic missiles in the Arctic Ocean as part of combat training ó Russia Finds Radioactive Isotopes in Test Samples After Accident in Severodvinsk ó Russia says radioactive isotopes released by mystery blast ó Russia to promote initiatives aimed at overcoming nuclear deal crisis, says Lavrov ó How Russia and Iran Dominated the G7 Summit ó Russia's Mystery Nuclear Explosion Occurred During Missile Recovery at Sea - Reports

West Asia G. Iran ó Iran ready to scale up nuclear work by installing advanced centrifuges: top MP ó Satellite images suggest Iran satellite launch looms ó Iran tanker heads to Greece after release, Iran warns US against seizure attempt ó US says it has blocked billions of dollars from reaching Iran and its proxies ó Europe should pre-purchase Iran's oil through INSTEX first: CBI chief ó Iranian oil tanker pursued by US says it is going to Turkey ó Iran test fires new missile ó Macron gets G7 nod over plan to defuse tensions with Iran ó Zarif's trip to France not related to G7: spokesman 4 Volume 11, Number 17 September 15, 2019

ó Iran says it will not negotiate missile work, wants to export more oil ó Iran's Rouhani says no talks with US unless sanctions lifted ó Not all problems can be solved through diplomacy: ex-envoy ó Iranian youth will hit back at Trump's bullying, Macron's deceit: ex-nuclear negotiator ó Iran's Zarif to Japan PM: we are not seeking heightened tensions ó US sanctions networks it says are connected to Iran's government, military ó EU backs US-Iran talks but says nuclear deal must stay ó Satellite photos shows burning rocket at Iranian space center ó Trump says US not involved in Iran satellite launch failure

H. Yemen ó US military drone shot down in Yemen

I. Iraq ó Iraqi PM's government facing collapse over Israeli airstrikes: Military and political officials J. Israel ó Israel accuses Iran of pushing Hezbollah missile plants in Lebanon K. Turkey ó Turkey, Russia seek closer defense, aviation cooperation at MAKS 2019 Airshow ó Confusion as Turkey says Iranian tanker now headed to Lebanon

East Asia L. North Korea ó NK raises military tension on peninsula: NSC ó N. Korea fires more projectiles, rules out talks with South ó North Korea says it tested 'new weapon' under leader Kim's guidance ó Kim expresses 'great satisfaction' over NKorea weapons tests ó Speculation swirls over possible US-NK meeting this week ó Warning to North Korea? US tests medium-range cruise missile for first time in 32 years ó N. Korea continued nuclear program in 2018 in Yongbyon: IAEA ó N. Korea says 'no interest in denuke talks' as long as South-US military drills in place ó North Korea prepared for dialogue, confrontation ó N. Korea fires unidentified projectiles into East Sea: JCS ó Foreign minister rebukes US State Secretary Pompeo ó North Korea tests new 'super-large' rocket launcher ó North Korea's propaganda outlet mentions Seoul's GSOMIA termination for first time ó North Korea says it won't give up arms modernization ó North Korea says Pompeo's remarks make talks with U.S. more difficult

M. South Korea ó South Korea's military says North Korea launched projectiles twice into sea ó S. Korea, US wrap up summertime combined exercise 5 Nuclear, Missile & Space Digest

ó Biegun holds talks with S. Korean counterpart over resumption of nuke talks with NK ó Cheong Wa Dae says it never used Japan's intel in analyzing NK missiles under Moon ó S. Korea's Lee: GSOMIA can stay if Japan retracts trade measures ó S. Korea seeks to increase defense budget 7.4% next year ó South Korean leader says Japan dishonest over wartime past ó Defense chief vows staunch readiness ó Moon invites Kim Jong-un at summit in Busan

N. Japan ó Defense paper to stress reality of North Korean nuclear threat ó 'Blind men': End of South Korea-Japan pact undermines bid to understand North Korea threats ó Abe heads to France for G-7 summit clouded by divisions ó UN chief urges Japan, S. Korea to mend ties ó Japan faster to report N. Korean missile launch than S. Korea ó Japan affirms cooperation with France, Canada, Germany on N. Korea ó Trump, Abe at odds on North Korea missile launches ó TEPCO offers to close reactors after restarting Niigata plant ó Abe, Rouhani to meet late Sept. in New York amid Gulf tension ó Kono urges Iran to abide by nuclear deal in talks with Zarif ó Japan begins to doubt G7's influence in addressing East Asian issues ó Japan's Tepco, Chubu, Hitachi, Toshiba to collaborate on nuclear plants ó Iran's Zarif urges Japan not to join US coalition ó Japan seeks record ¥5.32 trillion defense budget with new focus on space and cyberspace O. Taiwan ó Han pledges to start mothballed nuclear power plant ó Nuclear plan 'unfeasible,' Han criticized

P. Miscellaneous and World ó Canadian, Korean waste organisations agree cooperation ó Iran goes further in breaching nuclear deal, IAEA report shows

Q. Op-Ed India ó Chandrayaan 2: What are ISRO's '15 terrifying minutes' to Moon touchdown ó Nothing scares Pakistanis more than the possibility that India could succeed and Pakistan fail ó As Chandrayaan-2 Enters Moon Orbit, Musk's Tesla Roadster Completed A Full Orbit Around The Sun ó There's much more than national prestige driving India's ambitious moon mission ó Should India tinker with its 'No First Use' policy? ó How Delhi and Paris became friends |?Opinion ó Pakistan's ballistic missile arsenal and why India is safe from all of them ó Decoding the Cold War space race ó Is India "creatively reinterpreting" its no-first-use policy? 6 Volume 11, Number 17 September 15, 2019

ó The false assertions made by Imran Khan about India in his NYT propaganda column masquerading as opinion article China ó Op-ed:Competition shouldn't be a zero-sum game ó China will think long and hard before sending in the PLA - it needs the Hong Kong 'experiment' to work, and it wants Taiwan back ó Shared vision binds Iran-China relations ó Message delivered; was it received? Pakistan ó India makes veiled threat of nuclear war ó Pakistan Has Lots of Nuclear Weapons: Should the World Worry? ó Scholars point to change in India's nuclear policy ó India's nuclear threats ó Kashmir dispute seen as fuelling threat of N-conflict ó Why Pakistan Army will never want a nuclear war with India ó Imran Khan: The World Can't Ignore Kashmir. We Are All in Danger. ó India and Pakistan: Let's not be casual about nuclear war USA ó The nuclear arms race is back … and ever more dangerous now ó 'Nuclear winter' coming? Nuclear war between US and Russia would cause catastrophic event, study confirms ó If US, Russia clash, world to plunge into nuclear winter ó How Congress Can Prevent a Meltdown of Global Nuclear Arms Control ó Nuclear Power Must Not Lead to Nuclear Bombs ó Russia Is Developing Some Scary Nuclear Weapons. It Has To Give Them Up To ó Save New START. ó US missiles plan could spark arms race Russia ó Russia's Plans to Counter U.S. Missile Defense Will Destroy the World-From Underwater WEST ASIA Iran ó Why Trump Fails at Making Deals ó Trump's Spat With Denmark Could Cost Him Against Iran ó The impact of US sanctions on Iran EAST ASIA North Korea ó Nonsense of lunatics ó Experts: North Korea's Nuclear-Capable Missile Threat Real But Not Imminent ó 'Impact of scrapping GSOMIA will hit Korea harder' ó Pie in the sky ó Positive turn Japan ó TEPCO's nuclear reactor decommissioning announcement too vague ó Theater puts human face on nuclear crisis, life in Trump era Taiwan ó Taiwan not affected by Russian nuclear accident: AEC ó A nuclear red herring ó Ryan Hass On Taiwan: Is the long peace in Asia unraveling? 7 Nuclear, Missile & Space Digest

R. Think Tanks ó No, Mr. Stephens, the United States doesn't need more nuclear weapons ó Defense Spending and the New CBO Budget Projections for FY2020-FY202 ó The Nenoksa accident: A timeline of confusing and conflicting reports ó The U.S., Iran, and the JCPOA: Providing Incentives as Well as Threats ó Strangelove redux: US experts propose having AI control nuclear weapons

S. Reports and Original Documents ó Joint Statement on the State Visit of to ó India-France Joint Statement on Visit of Prime Minister to France (22-23 August 2019) ó The Question That Never Gets Asked About Kashmir ó Iran-related Designations; Non-proliferation Designations 8 Volume 11, Number 17 September 15, 2019

A. India Supply of equipment for Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant No first use nuclear policy may unit III, IV completed by Russia change in future, says Rajnath Singh on India’s defence strategy The New Indian Express, August 19, 2019 India Today, August 16, 2019 The main equipment for the under construction third unit of Kudankulam Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Nuclear Power Plant in Tamil Nadu have Friday said that India may see a major shift been shipped, a key Russian supplier for in its policy of using nuclear weapons. the project said on Monday. The Rosatom Rajnath has said India currently has a “no State Corporation, the main equipment first use policy” on nuclear weapons but it supplier and technical consultant for the may change in the future. Speaking at an Indo-Russian joint venture KNPP in event in Pokhran on Friday, Rajnath Singh Tirunelveli district in southern Tamil said, “Till today, our nuclear policy is ‘No Nadu, said it had “completed” the supply First Use’. What happens in future depends of the materials, including embedded on the circumstances.” parts of the reactor pit. “The shipment consisted of the molten core catcher, Rajnath also added, “India attaining the embedded parts of the reactor pit, dry status of a responsible nuclear nation became protection, heat-insulation of the a matter of national pride for every citizen cylindrical shell/barrel, truss buckstay of this country. The nation will remain (and) reactor vessel,” it said in an official indebted to the greatness of Atal Ji.” release. https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/india-no- first-use-nuclear-policy-may-change-rajnath- http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/tamil- singh-1581403-2019-08-16 nadu/2019/aug/19/supply-of-equipment-for- kudankulam-nuclear-power-plant-unit-iii-iv- completed-by-russia-2021128.html India says committed to ‘no first use’ of nuclear weapons for now Chandrayaan-2 precisely inserted Sanjeev Miglani, Reuters, August 16, 2019 in defined lunar orbit: ISRO India has stuck to its commitment of ‘no first Chairman use’ of nuclear weapons but future policy PIB India, August 20, 2019 will depend on the situation, the defense minister said on Friday, which analysts said The second moon mission of India, the introduced a level of ambiguity in a core Chandrayaan-2 has been precisely national security doctrine. inserted in defined orbit. It reached in defined lunar orbit at 09.02 am today. This India declared itself a nuclear weapons was stated by the Chairman, Indian Space power after conducting underground tests Research Organisation (ISRO), Dr K. in 1998 and long-time rival Pakistan Sivan, while addressing a press conference responded with its own tests shortly after the Lunar Orbit Insertion of afterwards. Since then, nuclear experts say Chandrayaan-2, in Bengaluru, today. the rivals have been developing nuclear With this, Chandrayaan-2 has crossed a weapons and the missiles to deliver them. major landmark, he said.‘

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-india-nuclear/ Dr Sivan said that ISRO aims for successful india-says-committed-to-no-first-use-of-nuclear- landing at 1.55 AM on 7th September. The weapons-for-now-idUSKCN1V613F soft landing will be near lunar South Pole. He said that the next major event will be on 2nd September when the lander will be separated from the orbiter. The Chairman said that ISRO is confident about its landing mission. ISRO has done enough 9 Nuclear, Missile & Space Digest

stimulations of soft landing, he added. This critical manoeuvre comes on Day 30 Chandrayyan-2 will undergo four more after the launch of the mission on July 22. manoeuvres. The first manoeuvre will be Scientists at Indian Space Research tomorrow, followed by subsequent Agency (Isro) fired the propulsion manoeuvres on 28th August, 30th August system onboard Chandrayaan 2 in 1738 and 1st September. This is ISRO’s second seconds to achieve a highly elliptical orbit moon mission after Chandrayaan-1 in the of 114x18,072 km at 9.02am on Tuesday. year 2008. Chandrayaan-2 was launched from on 22nd July this year. It https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/ carries an orbiter, ‘Vikram’ lander and in-a-big-leap-chandrayaan-2-enters-lunar-orbit/ ‘’ rover. story-r9DJg0GTLh7QNokHX4jB4O.html

https://pib.gov.in/ ISRO releases first image of Moon PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=1582414 captured by Chandrayaan-2 PM Modi congratulates team ISRO , August 23, 2019 as Chandrayaan 2 completes entry The Indian Space Research Organisation into Moon’s orbit (ISRO) Thursday released the first image of the Moon captured by Chandrayaan- Sushant Talwar 2, which moved into a lower orbit around Times now News. August 20, 2019 the Moon on Wednesday. The picture was taken at a height of about 2650 km from India’s most ambitious deep-space mission the Lunar surface. The agency also said to date, Chandrayaan 2, is currently en- that Mare Orientale basin and Apollo route to the Moon’s surface. Built at a cost craters were identified in the picture. of Rs 938 crore, the mission is scheduled to soft-land on the Moon on September 7 after https://indianexpress.com/article/india/isro- having launched on July 22 from ISRO’s releases-first-moon-image-captured-by- Space Centre in Sriharikota. chandrayaan-2-5928308/

Since its launch, the mission has been reaching NSG Membership Crucial For one milestone after the other, with latest being Growth Of Nuclear Power: PM its entry into the Moon’s orbit — a step that is Modi To UN Chief regarded as one of the most complex and NDTV, August 26, 2019 challenging manoeuvres in its journey to the Moon. India is moving towards clean energy including investment-intensive nuclear https://www.timesnownews.com/technology- power for which membership of Nuclear science/article/pm-modi-congratulates-team-isro- Suppliers Group (NSG) is crucial to as-chandrayaan-2-completes-entry-into-moons- building investor confidence, Prime orbit/472319 Minister on Sunday told the UN Secretary-General Antonio Chandrayaan 2 enters lunar orbit, Guterres during their meeting on the ‘biggest milestone’ achieved sidelines of the G7 summit. Briefing reporters about the meeting on Monday, Anonna Dutt, Hindustan Times, August 20, Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale said Mr 2019 Guterres was “very enthusiastic” about the India’s second mission to moon Prime Minister’s leadership on climate Chandrayaan 2 achieved the “biggest change. milestone” as it entered the lunar orbit on Tuesday, a tense operation only next to the He said that the Prime Minister will be 15 minutes of terror scientists will experience going to the United Nations General on September 7 when the lander-rover starts Assembly (UNGA) next month and a descent to the moon. participating as one of the keynote leaders 10 Volume 11, Number 17 September 15, 2019

and speakers in the UN Secretary General’s B. China climate summit and India hopes to launch a new initiative of the coalition for disaster- US puts Chinese nuclear giant, resistant infrastructure. subsidiaries on Entity List to ban exports https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/nsg-member- ship-crucial-for-growth-of-nuclear-power-pm- Xie Jun, Global Times, August 15, 2019 narendra-modi-to-un-chief-2090817 The US has added China General Nuclear Power Corp (CGN), China’s largest state- Imran Khan should stop making owned nuclear company, and several of empty threats: Naqvi on Pakistan’s its subsidiaries to its Entity List, barring US nuke warning companies from selling products to those enterprises. Experts said that the ban is India Today, August 27, 2019 part of a series of US moves to crack down Union minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi has on China’s high-technology sector, but hit out at Pakistan Prime Minister Imran those moves have in effect accelerated Khan over his nuclear threat to India on China’s efforts to seek technological Monday. Naqvi has said that Imran Khan independence. The US government said should quit making such empty threats over that companies on the entity list have been and over again. acting “contrary to” the US’ national security or foreign policy interests, Speaking to India Today TV, Naqvi said, “He according to a statement published by the should stop issuing such empty threats time Federal Register on its website. and again and look at the condition of his Commenting on the US’ move, Chinese own country. He will have to decide if he Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua wishes for the support of terrorists or the Chunying said on Thursday that the US world.” is abusing the use of export control measures. https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/mukhtar- abbas-naqvi-imran-khan-empty-nuclear-threat- http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/ 1592038-2019-08-27 1161621.shtml

India, Russia to seal nuclear pact Chinese missile destroyer “Xi’an” next week makes technical stop in Egypt’s Elizabeth Roche, Live mint, August 28, 2019 Alexandria Russia hopes to conclude a new pact for Xinhua, August 17,2019 building six more nuclear power plants in Chinese missile destroyer “Xi’an” of the India during next week’s visit to Vladivostok 32nd Chinese naval escort fleet arrived at by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Russian the port of Alexandria Naval Base of Egypt ambassador to India Nikolay Kudashev said. on Friday for a four-day technical stop. The trip is expected to open a “new chapter” Chinese Ambassador to Egypt Liao in the “special and privileged strategic Liqiang and other diplomats of the partnership,” between the two countries, he Chinese embassy in Egypt as well as more said on Wednesday. than 300 representatives attended the One of the key takeaways expected from welcoming ceremony and boarded the Modi’s visit is the signing of a pact for the ship for a tour. Representatives of the construction of six nuclear power plants for Egyptian Naval Forces and the India. This is apart from the six being set up Commander of the Alexandria Naval Base in Kudankulam in Tamil Nadu. Hisham Safwat also attended the ceremony. This year marks the 70th https://www.livemint.com/politics/policy/india- anniversary of the founding of the People’s russia-to-seal-nuclear-pact-next-week- Republic of China and the People’s 1567015328920.html 11 Nuclear, Missile & Space Digest

Liberation Army Navy, as well as the 63rd on Monday said the sale of Lockheed anniversary of the establishment of Martin F-16V jets was a serious violation diplomatic relations between China and of the one-China principle. “China has Egypt. The arrival of the Xi’an ship is of made numerous solemn representations to special significance which will further the US on the sale of F-16V jets to Taiwan,” enhance the friendship between the two Geng said in a press conference, adding countries, said Liao in a welcoming speech. that the United States should halt the sale. “The US has to bear all the consequences http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2019-08/17/ triggered by the sale,” Geng said. “China c_138314914.htm will take necessary measures to defend its self-interest based on the development of China’s first commercial carrier the situation.” rocket Jielong-1 launches satellites into orbit Geng gave no details of the action China would take. In July, Beijing said it would Global Times, August 18, 2019 impose sanctions on US firms involved in a deal to sell US$2.2 billion worth of tanks, The Jielong-1 rocket, the first commercial missiles and related equipment to Taiwan, rocket made by the state-owned China describing it as harmful to China’s Aerospace Science and Technology Corp sovereignty and national security. (CASC), was successfully launched on Saturday, sending three satellites into orbit, https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/ according to information released by article/3023387/donald-trump-confirms-he-has- CASC’s WeChat account. The carrier rocket approved-us8-billion-deal-sell successfully blasted off from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Northwest Smart Dragon rocket makes debut China’s Gansu Province at 12:11 pm Beijing flight, launches 3 satellites Time. An example of civilian-military integration in the commercial aerospace Zhao Lei, China Daily Global, August 19, area, the rocket is of the highest standard in 2019 the industry. The Jielong-1 is the lightest and Smart Dragon 1, the newest model in smallest solid propellant rocket, but it is China’s carrier rocket family, conducted designed with the highest carrying its debut flight over the weekend from efficiency. At 19.5 meters long and with a northwestern China’s Jiuquan Satellite diameter of 1.2 meters, the solid-propellant Launch Center, expanding the nation’s carrier rocket can send a payload of 200 launch service capabilities SD 1 Y1, the kilograms to an orbit of 500 kilometers. first rocket in the solid-propellant SD 1 http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/ series, blasted off at noon on Saturday 1161802.shtml from a large launch vehicle. After several minutes of flight, it successfully placed Beijing warns US of ‘consequences’ three satellites, designed and built by three after Donald Trump approves US$8 private satellite startups in Beijing, into orbits about 550 kilometers above Earth. billion sale of fighter jets to Taiwan The mission gave China a fourth carrier Lawrence Chung, South China Morning Post, rocket alongside China Aerospace Science August 19, 2019 and Technology Corp’s Long March series, China Aerospace Science and Industry Beijing warned it would take Corp’s Kuaizhou, and the SQX of privately countermeasures against Washington for owned space startup i-Space in Beijing. selling 66 fighter jets to Taiwan after US President Donald Trump said he had http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/global/2019-08/ approved the US$8 billion deal. Chinese 19/content_37503033.htm foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang 12 Volume 11, Number 17 September 15, 2019

China urges U.S. to immediately we devised some tactics that best suit stop arms sales plan to Taiwan plateaus. Our goal is to maximize these new weapons’ combat readiness in a Xinhuanet, August 19, 2019 potential plateau warfare,” Fan Hailong, China on Monday urged the United States an officer with the 76th Group Army, told to immediately stop its planned arms sales CCTV. to Taiwan and cease military contact with http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/ Taiwan, saying otherwise, the U.S. side will 1161939.shtml have to bear all the consequences. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang made the comments in response to U.S. planned Japan’s accusation that Chinese sales of F-16V fighter jets worth 8 billion U.S. aircraft targeted Japanese dollars to Taiwan, reiterating that the move warships ‘purely speculation’ severely violates the one-China principle and Guo Yuandan, Global Times, August 19, the three China-U.S. Joint Communiques, 2019 especially the August 17 Communique. Japanese media accusations that Chinese China firmly opposes U.S. arms sales to aircraft used Japanese warships as Taiwan as it seriously interferes in China’s imaginary targets during a missile drill is internal affairs and undermines China’s purely speculation and only reveals sovereignty and security interests, Geng said. Japan’s own guilty conscience, Chinese military experts said on Monday. Chinese http://eng.mod.gov.cn/news/2019-08/19/ military aircraft “likely used nearby content_4848515.htm Japanese destroyers as targets during a missile drill in international waters in the China uses advanced weapons in East China Sea in May,” Japanese media plateau military drills outlet Kyodo News reported on Sunday, Global Times, August 19, 2019 citing Japanese government sources. It claimed that several Chinese JH-7 fighter In preparation for potential plateau warfare, bombers approached two Maritime Self- China recently used, for the first time, some Defense Force destroyers that were within of its most powerful weapons and striking distance of anti-ship missiles. equipment, including Type 99A main battle tanks and battlefield robots to a snow- While the Chinese pilots did not lock on covered plateau in combat exercises. Taking guided missile radar, the Japanese part in the exercises at an elevation of 4,200 intercepted communications between the meters was a combined brigade under the Chinese aircraft in which the pilots said 76th Group Army of the People’s Liberation they would conduct a drill using the Army (PLA), who conducted mock battles Japanese vessels as mock targets, Kyodo using live ammunition, China Central News said. In response to the report, Television (CCTV) reported on Sunday. Chinese air defense expert Fu Qianshao said the evidence from the Japanese side The report did not identify the area, but such was not trustworthy. “During military a terrain is usually found in western China. exercises, the communications between Weapons and equipment, including Type warplanes are usually conducted through 99A tanks and battlefield robots used for abbreviated sentences and not done mine sweeping and reconnaissance, were through voice comms,” Fu said, deployed for the first time in a plateau, the questioning how it was possible for the CCTV report said. Heavy weapons will Japanese side to intercept the Chinese usually suffer from the lack of oxygen on communications. plateaus, military analysts said. “Switching from the plains to a plateau, the tanks’ http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/ mobility and assault capabilities suffered, so 1161973.shtml 13 Nuclear, Missile & Space Digest

China warns of new global arms configured” test missile hit the target after race flying more than 500 km. That was the first time the United States carried out a missile Global Times, August 20, 2019 test previously prohibited by the China warned Tuesday that the testing of a Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty medium-range cruise missile by the US (INF Treaty), marking the resumption of would start a new “arms race,” one day after an arms race. the US Department of Defense announced Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang that it tested a new ground-based cruise said the missile test was conducted less missile which can hit a target after more than three weeks after the United States than 500 kilometers of flight. “The US move announced its official withdrawal from the will trigger a new round of arms race, INF Treaty on Aug. 2. leading to an escalation of military confrontation, which in turn will have a http://eng.mod.go-ws/2019-08/20/ serious negative impact on the international content_4848594.htm and regional security situation,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng China’s new carrier ‘better and Shuang said. The US Department of can carry more fighters’ Defense announced on Monday it had tested a type of ground-launched missile that KG Chan Asia Times, August 21, 2019 was banned under the 1987 INF agreement, China’s new home-made aircraft carrier, which limited the use of nuclear and which can house a dozen more fighter jets conventional medium-range weapons. The than its sister ship the Liaoning, is likely missile was launched from the US Navy- to be in service by the end of this year. The controlled San Nicolas Island off the coast new ship’s multiple voyages in the Yellow of California. Sea off northeastern China this year are Geng pointed out that the US land-based an indication that the official christening medium- and short-range missile test, which and commission of the Type 001A carrier was previously prohibited by the are drawing near. It is likely to be in service by the end of the year if it is not ready for Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) the big military show on October 1, the treaty, came less than three weeks since it 70th anniversary of the Communist quit the treaty on August 2. “This shows that republic. the real purpose of the US’ withdrawal from the treaty was to seek ‘self-deregulation,’ let Despite being ridiculed as a lookalike of go of the development of advanced missiles, the Soviet-built Liaoning – the People’s and seek military superiority,” Geng said. Liberation Army’s only carrier in service – the new Type 001A can house a dozen http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/ more fighter jets than her sister ship, 1162102.shtml according to state broadcaster China Central Television. China urges U.S. to exercise restraint on armament development https://www.asiatimes.com/2019/08/article/ after missile test chinas-new-carrier-better-and-can-carry-more- fighters/?_=8759837 Xinhuanet, August 20, 2019 China on Tuesday urged the United States Private Chinese space firm to exercise restraint on armament successfully launches satellite development and earnestly safeguard the into orbit existing arms control regime, after the U.S. Defense Department on Monday reportedly China Daily, August 21, 2019 announced the test of a medium-range The No. 1 Qiansheng-1 satellite, the main ground-launched cruise missile. It was carrier of the Smart Dragon-1 (SD-1) Y1 reported that the “conventionally of China Aerospace Science and 14 Volume 11, Number 17 September 15, 2019

Technology Corporation, was launched at determination and ability to ensure our the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on Aug national security, reunification and 17, 2019. The satellite successfully entered sovereignty.” Beijing regards Taiwan as a into the scheduled orbit after flying through breakaway province that must eventually the powered phase. be reunified with the mainland, by force if necessary. As one of the achievements of the project of the core area of Zhongguancun Science Park https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/ to develop industries with high technical article/3023969/chinese-military-says-taiwans- level and fast growth rate and to promote us8bn-deal-buy-us-f-16-fighters original scientific and technological innovation, the No.1 Qiansheng-1 satellite Chinese mainland operates 47 was named “Haichuang Qiansheng” by the nuclear reactors, world’s third Haidian District Government. It was most completed in 14 months, weighs 65 kilograms, and has obtained more than 30 Global Times Published, August 22, 2019 independent intellectual property rights and A total of 47 nuclear power reactors with completed more than 10 technological an installed capacity of 48.73 million innovations and projects. kilowatts (kwh) are in operation on the http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/m/beijing/ Chinese mainland, as of June 2019, zhongguancun/2019-08/21/ ranking the 3rd in the world, data from content_37504216.htm the China Nuclear Society showed on Wednesday. It is estimated that the Chinese military says Taiwan’s installed capacity of China’s nuclear US$8 billion deal to buy US F-16 power will reach 51.03 million kwh in 2020. fighter jets is a waste of money because they will be ‘useless’ “The independent innovation system of against the PLA China’s nuclear power has been continuously strengthened, and the Liu Zhen, South China Morning Post, August localization rate of key equipment and 22, 2019 materials for nuclear power has been A mainland Chinese military official has said significantly improved,” said Wang Taiwan’s purchase of American warplanes Shoujun, chairman of the China Nuclear will not help the island defend itself and will Society, according to a report from the only be a financial burden. Beijing Xinhua News Agency. responded with fury this week after US http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/ President Donald Trump approved the sale 1162272.shtml of 66 F-16V, or “Viper”, jets to Taiwan in a US$8 billion deal, threatening to retaliate White paper shows transparency without saying what action it would take. Senior Colonel Cao Yanzhong, a researcher of China’s national defense: expert at the PLA Academy of Military Science, Xinhua, August 22, 2019 said the fighters would be “useless”in improving the island’s combat strength A military expert said Thursday that a against the mainland’s military. newly issued defense white paper, which outlines China’s national defense policy “This deal just places an extra financial system, showed a high level of burden on the Taiwanese people and only transparency in its strategic intentions and benefits the American arms dealers … It is military development. Chen Rongdi, head essentially Taiwan paying a fee to the of the Institute of War Studies of the Americans to buy protection, but this will Academy of Military Sciences of the not work and cannot protect them,” Cao Chinese People’s Liberation Army, made said. “No one shall doubt the PLA’s 15 Nuclear, Missile & Space Digest

the comment at a press salon with the All- Security Council meeting, Dmitry China Journalists Association. Polyanskiy, Russia’s acting permanent representative to the UN, said the United The national defense policy system was the States “consistently and deliberately most distinctive highlight of the white paper, violated” the Treaty for some time. He said Chen, who also introduced the recalled the US deployment of missile fundamental goal, the distinctive feature, launchers in eastern Europe, the first one the path forward, the missions and task of in Romania, which he said could be easily China’s national defense in the new era, as re-equipped to launch missiles banned by well as its global significance. the treaty. The US missile test, conducted soon after its formal departure from the http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2019-08/22/ treaty on Aug 2, proved its intended c_138329517.htm breach.

China launches world-leading In response, Chinese Permanent unmanned warship Representative to the United Nations Zhang Jun said “China has repeatedly Liu Xuanzun, Global Times, August 22, 2019 stated its position on the so-called arms China on Wednesday launched a world- control negotiation with the United States leading unmanned warship, with its and Russia. China has no interest and will developer claiming the vessel is combat- not be part of it”. Zhang stressed that, for ready. Jointly developed by No. 716 and No. any arms control negotiation, it is 702 research institutes under the state- imperative to fully consider the overall owned China Shipbuilding Industry military capabilities of countries and follow Corporation (CSIC), the JARI multi-purpose the principle of “undiminished security for unmanned combat vessel held its launch all”, a basic principle of international arms ceremony on Wednesday at an undisclosed control. In addition, he said it is location, according to a statement the No. unacceptable to use China as an excuse 716 Research Institute of CSIC released on for the United States to leave the INF its WeChat account on Wednesday. Treaty. “China unswervingly pursues a national defense policy that is defensive The launch indicates the world-leading in nature,” he said. “China’s nuclear combat drone ship has gained initial combat strategy for self-defense is completely capability, the statement said. Announcing transparent and its nuclear policy is highly JARI’s combat-readiness immediately after responsible.” “China’s nuclear arsenal is its launch is also an indication of how mature extremely limited in scale, and poses no the technologies used on the ship are, a threat to international peace and security,” military expert who asked not to be named he noted. told the Global Times on Thursday. http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/201908/23/ http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/ WS5d5f9b35a310cf3e3556794c.html 1162320.shtml China’s hypersonic DF-17 missile Russia, US trade barbs over INF threatens regional stability, collapse, China says no interest in analyst warns trilateral treaty Kristin Huang, South China Morning Post, China Daily, August 23, 2019 August 23, 2019 Russia and the United States on Thursday China’s development of a hypersonic blamed each other for the collapse of the ballistic missile – capable of reaching well Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) above the speed of sound and penetrating Treaty, while China said it has no interest US missile shields – is a threat to stability in trilateral arms control talks that in the region, a military analyst has Washington wants. At a United Nations warned. A source from the state-owned 16 Volume 11, Number 17 September 15, 2019

China Aerospace Science and Industry including moon surface observation and Corporation (CASIC) said the DF-17 missile, composition analysis. currently in development, would be capable of hypersonic speeds and delivering a China’s Chang’e-4 probe, launched on manoeuvrable re-entry vehicle which could Dec. 8, 2018, made the first-ever soft shift targets in flight, making it less landing on the Von Karman Crater in the vulnerable to interception by other countries’ South Pole-Aitken Basin on the far side of defence systems. the moon on Jan. 3.

“And the DF-17 will be capable of delivering http://eng.chinamil.com.cn/view/2019-08/25/ content_9600450.htm both nuclear and conventional payloads,” said the source, who declined to be named China urges U.S. to stop malicious due to the sensitivity of the topic. hyping on South China Sea “There are now two institutions under Xinhua, August 27, 2019 CASIC that are competing to develop these advanced features,” the source added. China urges the United States to stop China fires up new hypersonic missile malicious hyping and play a positive and challenge to US defences constructive role in international and regional affairs, a foreign ministry The US intelligence community has assessed spokesperson said on Tuesday. that the DF-17 is expected to reach initial Spokesperson Geng Shuang made the operational capability by 2020. In addition comments at a daily press briefing in to China, the United States and Russia are response to the U.S. Department of also developing the hypersonic glider Defense’s accusation that “China recently technology behind the Chinese DF-17. resumed its coercive interference in Vietnam’s longstanding oil and gas Adam Ni, a military researcher at Macquarie activities in the South China Sea.” University in Sydney, said the developments in the DF-17 enhanced China’s nuclear “The rights and wrongs of the issue are deterrence since it would be capable of quite clear. The U.S. has made penetrating existing US missile shields. irresponsible remarks over and over again, disregarding facts and calling black white, https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/ and China is firmly opposed to that,” he article/3023972/chinas-hypersonic-df-17-missile- said. China firmly safeguards the world threatens-regional-stability order and abides by international law, always exercising its legitimate rights in China’s Chang’e-4 probe resumes the region based on international law, and work for ninth lunar day firmly safeguarding regional peace, stability and order, Geng said. China Military Online, August 25, 2019 The lander and rover of the Chang’e-4 probe http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2019-08/27/ have resumed work for the ninth lunar day c_138342613.htm on the far side of the moon after “sleeping” during the extremely cold night. The lander China’s navy ‘set to pick J-20 woke up at 8:10 a.m. Sunday, and the rover, stealth jets for its next generation Yutu-2 (Jade Rabbit-2), awoke at 8:42 a.m. carriers’ Saturday, according to the Lunar Exploration and Space Program Center of Minnie Chan, South China Morning Post, the China National Space Administration. August 27, 2019 For the ninth lunar day, the lander’s neutron China’s military is likely to pick the radiation detector and low-frequency radio country’s first active stealth fighter, the J- detector, as well as the rover’s infrared 20, for its next generation aircraft carriers, imaging spectrometer and other instruments according to military sources and a recent will be restarted to conduct scientific tasks report on state media. 17 Nuclear, Missile & Space Digest

The J-20, made by the Chengdu Aerospace China to show off advanced Corporation (CAC), appears to have a won nuclear weapons in National Day a head-to-head contest with the FC-31, a parade and ‘send message to US fighter made by another company which is still undergoing testing. A military insider about capabilities’ told the South China Morning Post that the Minnie Chan, South China Morning Post, Central Military Commission, the People’s August 28, 2019 Liberation Army’s top decision-making China is planning to make its strategic body, now favoured adapting the J-20 for nuclear missiles and advanced fighter jets its new carriers. the centrepiece of its National Day military parade in what military sources and “The Chengdu Aerospace Corporation will analysts said was an attempt to show off announce some new products, which will its achievements in overhauling its armed include a new version of their J-20. You can forces over the past few years. Military guess what type it will be,” the military analysts said the show of nuclear strength insider, who requested anonymity because was intended to demonstrate China’s of the sensitivity of the subject, said. enhanced deterrence and second strike https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/ capability, especially to the United States. article/3024584/chinas-navy-set-pick-j-20-stealth- jets-its-next-generation “The parade is to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Chinese aviation and space Republic of China on October 1,” one military insider said. development commands attention in Russia https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/ article/3024782/china-show-advanced-nuclear- Liu Xuanzun, Global Times, August 28, weapons-national-day-parade-and 2019 The China Pavilion opened on Tuesday at Chinese exhibitors display laser the 2019 Russian International Aviation and weapon, stealth target drone at Space Salon (MAKS) in Zhukovsky, near Russian expo Moscow, as the event attracted attention Liu Xuanzun, Global Times, August 27, 2019 from local visitors with some of the most popular exhibits from China. The China About 20 Chinese exhibitors will showcase Pavilion features weapons, aircraft, and hardware such as a laser weapon and a equipment from nearly 20 companies. For stealth target drone at the 2019 Russian the first time, China is the partner country International Aviation and Space Salon of the biannual Russian exhibition and (MAKS), which opens on Tuesday. compared to past editions of MAKS, China Aviation Industry Corp of China (AVIC) has sent the most companies and exhibits in will display aircraft such as the AG600 the largest area of 3,000 square meters. large amphibious aircraft, JF-17 fighter jet and Wing Loong drones. The China A crowd of visitors gathered outside the Aerospace Science and Industry Corp will China Pavilion prior to its opening on display missiles and a laser weapon. The Tuesday morning, eager to see what the LW-30 laser defense weapon system Chinese exhibitors would put on display. features a directional-emission high-energy The top exhibit for the Aviation Industry of laser to quickly intercept aerial targets such China (AVIC) is the AG600 large as photoelectric guidance equipment, amphibious aircraft, which is exhibited drones, guided bombs and mortars. overseas for the first time, according to a statement AVIC sent to the Global Times on Xi’an-based Northwestern Polytechnical Tuesday. University will showcase the LJ-1. It is a tactical target featuring sustained-G, long http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/ endurance, stealth and recoverability, and 1162880.shtml is capable of simulating third and fourth 18 Volume 11, Number 17 September 15, 2019

generation fighter jets and, depending on principle is the political foundation for the another commonly used classification, fifth China-U.S. relationship, said the generation fighter jets, according to spokesperson Ren Guoqiang at a press introductory material MAKS provided. conference when asked about the U.S. Chinese exhibitors will also show space approval of arms sales to Taiwan. It is a rockets, aero engines and passenger aircraft. pity that the United States repeatedly violated the one-China principle and the http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/1162762.shtml three China-U.S. joint communiques, Ren said. Russia offers rocket engine tech as China’s Long March 5 struggles to Arms sales to Taiwan will not change the get off the ground historical trend of China’s reunification, Ren said, noting that the move will only Liu Zhen, South China Morning Post, August send wrong signals to “Taiwan 28, 2019 independence” forces and deteriorate the China and Russia are forging stronger ties situation across the Taiwan Strait. “We in space technology with Russia offering to have resolute will, abundant confidence supply rocket engines to China in exchange and sufficient ability to defeat any form of for Chinese microelectronics, according to interference of enternal forces and the head of Russia’s state space corporation. separatist acts of ‘Taiwan independence,’” At the MAKS 2019 Moscow air show on Ren said. “We will take all necessary Tuesday, Dmitry Rogozin, director general measures to safeguard our interests. We of Roscosmos, said Russia was also keen to will defend our national sovereignty and use its rocket technology to launch Chinese territorial integrity and maintain the peace satellites. “Cooperation in the field of space and stability across the Strait at any cost,” transport services could involve the launches Ren stressed. of Chinese spacecraft on board Russian http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2019-08/30/ carrier rockets to deploy China’s multi- c_138349053.htm satellite constellation, as well as possible deliveries of rocket engines,” Russian state news China’s KZ-1A rocket launches agency Sputnik quoted Rogozin as saying. two satellites China, it is the supply of microelectronics China Military Online, August 31, 2019 that we need.” In addition, representatives from both countries would discuss Two satellites for technological “cooperation in near-space infrastructure” experiments were sent into space by a when a Chinese delegation visits Roscosmos Kuaizhou-1A, or KZ-1A, carrier rocket later this year or in early 2020, he said. from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center China’s space ambitions have been held back in northwest China on Saturday. The by a lack of progress in development of a rocket blasted off at 7:41 a.m. and sent the heavy-lift rocket engine. two satellites into their planned orbit. Kuaizhou-1A, meaning speedy vessel, is https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/ a low-cost solid-fuel carrier rocket with article/3024766/russia-offers-rocket-engine-tech- high reliability and a short preparation chinas-long-march-5-struggles period. The rocket, developed by a company under the China Aerospace U.S. accountable for all Taiwan Science and Industry Corporation, is arms sales consequences: mainly used to launch low-orbit spokesperson microsatellites.

Xinhua, August 30, 2019 Saturday’s launch was the third mission The United States is accountable for all of the KZ-1A rocket. One of the newly consequences of its arms sales to Taiwan, a launched satellites was developed by the spokesperson for the Ministry of National Innovation Academy for Microsatellites of Defense said Thursday. The one-China the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and will 19 Nuclear, Missile & Space Digest

be used for microgravity technology based system that they say will make it experiments. The other satellite, developed easier to detect submarines in uncharted by Spacety Co., Ltd. (Changsha), a privately waters. The technology builds on earlier owned Chinese commercial space company, work by the team, led by Dr Niu Haiqiang will be used to test solar sail technology. from the Institute of Acoustics at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing, http://english.chinamil.com.cn/view/2019-08/31/ which saw them develop a deep-learning content_9607564.htm algorithm that could improve the speed and precision of detection. China’s nuclear capabilities maturing The algorithm, however, needs a large Aaron Tu and Jake Chung, Taipei Times, amount of data to work, so its use is limited August 31, 2019 to waters that have already been fully The defense ministry said that the PLA has charted. In contrast, the upgrade works been expanding its arsenal to achieve its in all waters, charted or otherwise. Niu strategic goals and increase its force and his colleagues, who included scientists projection in the region. The Chinese armed from the Scripps Institution of forces could soon have full-fledged “tactical Oceanography at the University of nuclear power” to counter any major California San Diego, started by nuclear-armed nation, according to the developing a simulator to generate a wide Ministry of National Defense’s People’s range of virtual environments from which Liberation Army Report for this year. the algorithm was able to learn.

Such capabilities could allow China to attain Once it had assimilated that information, its strategic goals of ending calls for the simulator was able to analyse real-life independence within and outside of its data taken from the world’s oceans and borders; combating hegemony; establishing seas, the team said in a paper published control of its border with India; and in the July issue of The Journal of the stabilizing its frontiers, said the report, which Acoustical Society of America. It is now was delivered to the Legislative Yuan able to help a single hydrophone locate yesterday. The Chinese People’s Liberation more than 80 per cent of underwater Army (PLA) could by next year establish an targets within an uncharted area with a arsenal of tactical nuclear weapons sizeable margin of error of less than 10 metres (33 and powerful enough to deter a nuclear war feet), the paper said. and protect China’s borders, it said. By 2050, China could complete the infrastructure https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/ necessary to launch nuclear-armed aircraft article/3025096/chinese-us-scientists-develop-ai- technology-help-detect for strategic bombing, it added. The report also maintained a theory from last year’s edition that the PLA could conclude C. Pakistan preparations to invade Taiwan by next year, India, Pakistan once again on but has limited ability to capture it due to geographical and equipment challenges. verge of full-scale war The News International, August 17, 2019 http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/archives/ 2019/08/31/2003721435 India and Pakistan are once again on the verge of a full-scale war. It is an Chinese, US scientists develop AI unimaginable scenario as the two South technology to help detect Asian neighbors possess high-tech nuclear submarines in uncharted waters arms. They have fought three wars over Kashmir, which they both claim in full, but Stephen Chen, South China Morning Post, rule in part. Any escalation of military August 31, 2019 conflict between the two countries has a dangerous risk of a nuclear confrontation. Scientists from China and the United States New Delhi justifies its airstrike inside have developed a new artificial intelligence- 20 Volume 11, Number 17 September 15, 2019

Pakistan by saying that it targeted a militant nuclear weapons might not be etched in camp run by the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) stone, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran militant group, international media reported Khan on Sunday expressed concern about on Friday. the “safety and security of India’s nuclear arsenal” under the control of the “fascist, The group claimed responsibility for the racist Hindu supremacist” Narendra Modi February 14 suicide bombing in Kashmir’s government and urged the international Pulwama district, which killed more than community to take notice. 40 Indian troops. JeM, which allegedly has links to al-Qaeda, regularly targets “The world must also seriously consider government installations in Indian-Held the safety and security of India’s nuclear Kashmir. So India claims its military arsenal in the control of the fascist, racist operation was actually an act in self-defense. Hindu supremacist Modi government. This is an issue that impacts not just the https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/512959-india- region but the world,” Khan tweeted. pakistan-once-again-on-verge-of-full-scale-war https://indianexpress.com/article/india/jammu- Kashmir a nuclear flashpoint: and-kashmir-india-pakistan-imran-khan- Pakistan army spokesman Asif nuclear-war-5914651/ Ghafoor India’s nuclear threat reflective of Elizabeth Roche, Live Mint, August 17, 2019 defeat: Qureshi Pakistan army spokesman Asif Ghafoor on Shafqat Ali, The Nation, August 19, 2019 Saturday described Kashmir as a “nuclear flashpoint”, a day after defence minister Pakistan yesterday told India that its veiled Rajnath Singh said India could review its nuclear threat was only reflective of its nuclear no first use policy. defeat at the global level on the Kashmir issue. Ghafoor’s comment, quoted by news reports, could be seen as another attempt by Pakistan Responding to Indian Defence Minister to internationalise the Kashmir dispute Rajnath Singh threatening statement, between the two countries and invite offers Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi of mediation. Western nations have always said: “We have seen the comments made been wary of tensions flaring up between by the Indian Defence Minister today. the two countries that have nuclear These are reflective of the predicament that weapons. Ghafoor’s comments also come India finds itself in, after its illegal and after the UN Security Council on Friday said unilateral actions imperilling peace and India and Pakistan should sort out their security in the region and beyond.” differences bilaterally after closed-door consultations. This came after China sought In a written reply to the Indian minister’s the meeting on Pakistan’s behalf after India outburst, Qureshi said: “Equally revoked a provision in its constitution giving condemnable is the completely special status to Kashmir. indefensible lockdown of the entire population in Occupied Kashmir that has https://www.livemint.com/politics/news/kashmir- gone on for two weeks, and continues to a-nuclear-flashpoint-pakistan-army-spokesman- deepen the dire humanitarian tragedy as asif-ghafoor-1566058203618.html reported by the international human rights organizations and the international media. Imran Khan: World must seriously The world community, including the consider safety of India’s nuclear United Nations Security Council, have arsenal under Modi govt taken cognizance of this utterly untenable situation.” The Indian Express, August 18, 2019 https://nation.com.pk/19-Aug-2019/india-s- Two days after Defence Minister Rajnath nuclear-threat-reflective-of-defeat-qureshi Singh hinted that India’s “no first use” for 21 Nuclear, Missile & Space Digest

Pakistan Leader Vents Frustration Pakistan test fires Ghaznavi at India: ‘No Point in Talking to missile to raise war spectre, to Them’ focus next on Geneva meet Salman Masood and Maria Abi-Habib, The Shishir Gupta, Hindustan Times, August New York Times, August 21, 2019 29, 2019 Prime Minister Imran Khan of Pakistan Pakistan carried out a night training intensified his criticism of India on launch of surface-to-surface ballistic missile Wednesday over its Kashmir crackdown, Ghaznavi early on Thursday, a move that saying he would no longer seek dialogue coincides with its scaled-up effort to with Indian officials and raising the threat internationalise the Kashmir issue. Major of a military escalation between the nuclear- General Asif Ghafoor, spokesperson of armed neighbors. Pakistan Armed Forces, tweeted that the exercise was successful and put out a 30- In an interview with The New York Times, second video clip of the missile launch Mr. Khan complained bitterly about what along with a group photograph of officers he described as repeated rebuffs from Prime with the missile. Minister Narendra Modi of India at his entreaties for communication, both before The military spokesperson said the ballistic and after the Aug. 5 crackdown on the missile is capable of “delivering multiple disputed territory of Kashmir. types of warheads upto 290 km”. He added that Pakistan President Arif Alvi https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/21/world/asia/ and Prime Minister Imran Khan had india-pakistan-kashmir-imran-khan.html conveyed its appreciation to the team and congratulated the nation. After Imran Khan’s nuclear threat, Sheikh Rashid predicts ‘full-blown https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/ Indo-Pak war’ in Sep-Oct in-message-to-india-pakistan-tests-nuclear- capable-ballistic-missile-ghaznavi/story- Jagran English, August 28, 2019 ovzrBgmXQgYzVDX7NXAM7M.html

Amid the ongoing tensions between India Pakistan successfully carried out and Pakistan following New Delhi’s decision to abrogate Article 370 in Jammu and night training launch of surface to Kashmir, a senior minister of the surface ballistic missile Ghaznavi, neighbouring country today “predicted” a capable of delivering multiple “full-blown war” between the two nuclear- types of warheads upto a range of armed countries. Pakistan media quoted 290 kilometers. Railways Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed predicting a full-blown war between ISPR, August 29, 2019 Pakistan and India which is “likely to occur Pakistan successfully carried out night in October or the following month”. training launch of surface to surface The development comes two days after ballistic missile Ghaznavi, capable of Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan delivering multiple types of warheads upto threatened nuclear war with India over the a range of 290 kilometers. This training issue of Kashmir. launch was the culminating point of the Field Training Exercise of Army Strategic https://english.jagran.com/world/after-imran- Forces Command, which was aimed at khans-nuclear-threat-sheikh-rashid-predicts-full- practicing quick response procedures. The blown-indo-pak-war-in-sep-oct-watch-10003783 training launch was witnessed by Commander Army Strategic Forces Command and other civil military officials. 22 Volume 11, Number 17 September 15, 2019

Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Commission (CNSC) President Rumina and Services Chiefs have appreciated the Velshi and US Nuclear Regulatory team involved. President and Prime Minister Commission (NRC) Chairman Christine of Pakistan have also conveyed their Svinicki and follows a Memorandum of appreciation to the team and Understanding signed two years ago. Congratulations to the nation on this landmark achievement. http://world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Regula- tors-formalise-technical-collaboration-on-SM https://www.ispr.gov.pk/press-release- detail.php?id=5408 Three Mile Island, site of America’s nuclear power blunder, Pakistan tests night launch of N- set to close-down in few weeks capable ballistic missile Will Wade, The Print, August 18, 2019 Baqir Sajjad Syed, Dawn, August 30, 2019 It started with a pump failure early on the The Army’s Strategic Force Command has morning of March 28, 1979. conducted the training launch of Ghaznavi, a nuclear-capable short-range ballistic Steam generators were unable to draw missile, to signal readiness to arch-rival India, heat out of a reactor at the Three Mile Island which is suspected of planning a nuclear power plant in Middletown, misadventure against Pakistan. Pennsylvania. While an emergency shutdown was triggered, another The announcement of the test was made problem—a stuck valve—was letting through a tweet by military spokesman Maj coolant escape from the reactor core. Gen Asif Ghafoor, who posted on the micro- blogging site: “Pakistan successfully carried The core’s fuel began to overheat, causing out night training launch of surface to the partial meltdown and release of surface ballistic missile Ghaznavi.” radiation that remain the worst nuclear accident in US history. The reactor, one of The test, although planned beforehand, was two at the plant, has been silent ever since. carried out amid escalating tensions To this day, it stands as an enduring between Pakistan and India over the latter’s symbol of all that can potentially go wrong move to annul Article 370 of its constitution with American nuclear energy. and end autonomous status of occupied Kashmir. https://theprint.in/world/three-mile-island-site- of-americas-nuclear-power-blunder-set-to-close- https://www.dawn.com/news/1502516 down-in-few-weeks/278562/

D. USA What a mysterious explosion tells Regulators formalise technical us about Russia’s ‘doomsday collaboration on SMR regulation weapon’ World Nuclear News, August 16, 2019 Nick Paton Walsh and Nathan Hodge, CNN, August 18, 2019 Canadian and US nuclear regulators have signed a first-of-a-kind Memorandum of An explosion. An abruptly-canceled Cooperation (MoC) that will see them village evacuation. Five dead nuclear collaborate on the technical reviews of experts. And a few traces of radioactive advanced reactor and small modular reactor iodine in the air over the northern (SMR) technologies. Meanwhile, the US Norwegian coastline. These are the Department of Energy has awarded funds fingerprints of what appears to have been to build SMR simulators at three US Russia’s latest failed bid to test its universities. Burevestnik missile, also known as Skyfall.

The MoC was signed on 15 August in It’s claimed by its owner, Russian Ottawa by Canadian Nuclear Safety President Vladimir Putin, to have unlimited 23 Nuclear, Missile & Space Digest

range and be able to outflank all US air work out how to stop Iran from being defenses. But this month, it proved, for a “unshackled to create new turmoil” when Kremlin keen to emphasize its growing a United Nations arms embargo on the military muscle, yet another high-profile country and a travel ban on the head of hiccup. Iran’s elite Quds Force expire in October 2020. https://edition.cnn.com/2019/08/17/europe/russia- nuclear-summer-skyfall-intl/index.html Speaking at a U.N. Security Council meeting on Middle East peace and Pentagon Tests New Missile security challenges, Pompeo called for System, Weeks After a U.S.-Russia greater cooperation in the region to Nuclear Arms Treaty Collapsed produce “fresh thinking to solve old problems,” citing problems including the W.J. Hennigan, Time, August 20, 2019 Libyan and Syrian conflicts and a rift between several Gulf states and Qatar. The U.S. military carried out a test-flight Sunday of a new road-mobile, ground- https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-iran-un/ launched cruise missile system less than a pompeo-warns-of-new-turmoil-if-u-n-arms- month after the U.S. and Russia ripped up embargo-on-iran-lifted-in-2020- a landmark arms treaty. The missile blasted idUSKCN1VA253 from a launcher on San Nicolas Island, a Navy test site off the coast of Los Angeles, Trump denies report he wanted to Calif., and sped above the Pacific Ocean for nuke hurricanes more than 310 miles before hitting a target, the Pentagon said in a statement. “Data Pakistan Today, August 26, 2019 collected and lessons learned from this test US President Donald Trump on Monday will inform the Department of Defense’s denied an Axios report that he wanted to development of future intermediate-range drop nuclear bombs on hurricanes before capabilities,” it said. they made landfall in the United States, The test marks a new era for the U.S. military calling it “ridiculous”. During a briefing, in the wake of the Aug. 2 collapse of the Trump asked if it would be possible to Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) disrupt hurricanes forming off the coast Treaty. First signed by President Ronald of Africa by dropping a nuclear bomb in Reagan and Soviet Union leader Mikhail the eye of the storm, a report on the Axios Gorbachev in December 1987, the INF treaty website said on Sunday. eliminated an entire class of nuclear weapons. It forced the superpowers to scrap According to an anonymous source, the more than 2,600 land-based missiles with news website said that attendees left the ranges 310 to 3,420 miles — weapons hurricane briefing thinking, “What do we considered destabilizing to the European do with this?” Axios did not say when this continent because of their capability to conversation took place. launch a nuclear strike from anywhere https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2019/08/26/ without early warning. trump-denies-report-he-wanted-to-nuke- hurricanes/ https://time.com/5656057/pentagon-missile-test- inf-treaty-russia/ Sale of Nuclear Power Plant for Pompeo warns of ‘new turmoil’ if Decommissioning Finalized U.N. arms embargo on Iran lifted in US News, August 26, 2019 2020 The owner of a now-shuttered nuclear Michelle Nichols, Reuters, August 21, 2019 power plant in Plymouth has sold the facility to a private company for U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo pushed decommissioning. the international community on Tuesday to 24 Volume 11, Number 17 September 15, 2019

Entergy Corporation said Monday it has US intel report says mysterious completed the sale of the Pilgrim Nuclear Russian explosion was triggered Power Station to Holtec International, which by recovery mission of nuclear- plans to complete major decommissioning work at the site decades sooner than if powered missile, not a test Entergy had continued to own the facility. Amanda Macias, CNBC, August 30, 2019 The two announced the planned sale last A U.S. intelligence assessment found that year. U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren and the mysterious explosion off of Russia’s Edward Markey and U.S. Rep. William northern coast occurred during a recovery Keating — all Democrats — recently urged mission to salvage a nuclear-powered the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to delay missile from the ocean floor, according to ruling on the license transfer needed to people with direct knowledge of the report. finalize the sale. The mysterious explosion on Aug. 8 killed five scientists and sparked fears that Russia https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/ had tested its new nuclear-powered massachusetts/articles/2019-08-26/sale-of-nuclear- Burevestnik missile, also known as Skyfall. power-plant-for-decommissioning-finalized “This was not a new launch of the Axios: Trump floated the idea of weapon, instead it was a recovery mission using nuclear bombs to stop to salvage a lost missile from a previous hurricanes headed for US test,” said a person with direct knowledge of the U.S. intelligence assessment. “There Devan Cole, CNN Politics, August 26, 2019 was an explosion on one of the vessels involved in the recovery and that caused President Donald Trump has floated a reaction in the missile’s nuclear core multiple times the idea of thwarting which lead to the radiation leak,” said hurricanes headed for the US by bombing another person, who spoke to CNBC on them, including by dropping nuclear bombs the condition of anonymity. on hurricanes to disrupt their course, Axios reported Sunday, citing conversations with https://www.cnbc.com/2019/08/29/intel-says- sources who heard Trump’s comments and russian-explosion-was-not-from-nuclear- were briefed on a National Security Council powered-missile-test.html memo that recorded the comments. E. Europe In an early Monday tweet, Trump denied the Axios’ report, claiming that he “never UK looking to complete British said” what was in it. CNN has not been able Steel sale to Turkish military fund to independently verify the report. in coming weeks According to Axios, the President has Costas Pitas, Reuters, August 16, 2019 suggested the idea several times to senior Britain is looking to complete the sale of Homeland Security and national security British Steel to Ataer Holdings, an affiliate officials that they look into the idea of using of Turkey’s military pension fund OYAK, nuclear bombs to stop hurricanes from in the coming weeks, the Insolvency hitting the US. A source who was at a Service said on Friday. “I will be looking to hurricane briefing at the White House told conclude this process in the coming weeks, the outlet that the President once said of during which time British Steel continues to hurricanes, “I got it. I got it. Why don’t we trade and supply its customers as normal,” nuke them?” the Official Receiver said in a statement https://edition.cnn.com/2019/08/26/politics/ released by The Insolvency Service. donald-trump-nuclear-bombs-hurricanes/ https://www.reuters.com/article/britain-steel- index.html turkey-deal/uk-looking-to-complete-british-steel- sale-to-turkish-military-fund-in-coming-weeks- idUSL9N23Y00W 25 Nuclear, Missile & Space Digest

Poland may join U.S.-led mission in they are interested in providing Strait of Hormuz conventional power generation equipment and carrying out work for the Belene Joanna Plucinska, Reuters, August 16, 2019 project, one of the sources said. Bulgaria Poland is considering supporting a U.S.-led cancelled Belene in 2012 after failing to mission to protect the Strait of Hormuz, but find investors and facing pressure from the has not made a formal decision yet. It’s United States and the to unclear when Poland, which has sought to limit its energy dependence on Russia, strengthen ties with the U.S. since the Law which had been under contract to build and Justice (PiS) party came to power in the plant. It has been sitting on unused 2015, will make a decision on the matter. nuclear equipment since paying Rosatom Poland’s Foreign Minister Jacek more than 620 million euros for scrapping Czaputowicz first made the comments to the project, and in June 2018 its parliament German news agency dpa on Friday. ordered the government to revive it. Sofia plans to keep a blocking stake in the German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas has venture and participate with the site, the reiterated that Germany will not take part nuclear reactors and the acquired licences, in a U.S.-led naval mission in the Strait of but would not extend state or corporate Hormuz and would instead prefer to form guarantees or offer to buy electricity from a European mission. The U.S. has pushed the plant under long-term contracts at to secure the strait, which lies between preferential rates. Oman and Iran and through which almost a fifth of the world’s oil passes, as tensions https://www.reuters.com/article/bulgaria- energy-nuclear/update-1-bulgaria-nuclear- have risen between Iran, Britain and the project-attracts-china-and-s-korea-interest- United States in recent months. Poland has sources-idUSL5N25F3ST in the past offered military support to U.S.- led missions - its soldiers took part in missions in Iraq and . Russia’s Rosatom interested in Bulgaria nuclear plant tender https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-iran- poland/poland-may-join-u-s-led-mission-in-strait- Anastasia Lyrchikova, Maria Kiselyova, of-hormuz-idUSKCN1V616M Reuters, August 19, 2019 Russian state nuclear energy company Bulgaria nuclear project attracts Rosatom said on Monday it had filed an China and S.Korea interest-sources application to be a strategic investor in a nuclear power plant project in Bulgaria. Tsvetelia Tsolova, Maria Kiselyova, Reuters, Bulgaria is seeking a strategic investor for August 19, 2019 its revived Belene project on the Danube, State-run companies from China and South which is estimated to cost at least 10 billion Korea have applied to be strategic investors euros ($11.1 billion). in Bulgaria’s revived Belene nuclear project, two industry sources familiar with the Sofia cancelled the project in 2012 after failing to find investors and as it faced process said on Monday after Russia’s Rosatom said it wanted to take part. Sofia pressure from the United States and the European Union to limit Bulgaria’s energy plans to pick a strategic investor or investors by May 22 next year to install and run two dependence on Russia, which had been under contract to build the plant.The Russian-made 1,000 megawatt reactors at Belene project on the river Danube. The deadline for submitting letters of interest for investing in the project expires later on plant, estimated to cost about 10 billion euros ($11 billion), should be operational in 10 Monday. years. https://www.reuters.com/article/bulgaria- energy-nuclear-russia/russias-rosatom-inter- France’s Framatome, a unit of EDF, and ested-in-bulgaria-nuclear-plant-tender- General Electric have filed letters saying idUSL5N25F1VY 26 Volume 11, Number 17 September 15, 2019

UK’s Wood to sell nuclear energy The Czech Army was choosing between unit for $305 million Bell and Lockeed Martin’s Sikorsky in the deal which also includes weaponry and Yadarisa Shabong, Reuters, August 20, 2019 ammunition shipments.

British oilfield services provider Wood Plc News agency CTK said Metnar expected said on Tuesday it would sell its nuclear to sign a contract by the end of the year energy business for about $305 million to and delivery was due in 2023. The Jacob Engineering and reported a 2.6% drop country’s defense spending plan includes in first-half revenue. It reported adjusted accelerated replacement of Soviet-era core earnings of $384 million, with margins equipment. In the largest tender announced of 8%. Total revenue fell to $4.79 billion so far, worth an estimated $2 billion, the compared with $4.92 billion last year and army is also choosing the supplier of 210 total order book stood at $9.19 billion as of infantry fighting vehicles. June 30, also down from a year earlier. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-czech-army- https://www.reuters.com/article/john-wood- helicopters/czechs-pick-bell-for-622-million- results/uks-wood-to-sell-nuclear-energy-unit-for- army-helicopter-deal-idUSKCN1VC1BN 305-million-idUSL4N25G1II EDF gets OK to restart Scottish Macron says will meet Iranians nuclear plant where cracks found before G7 summit Susanna Twidale, Reuters, August 20, 2019 Reuters, August 21, 2019 EDF Energy will be allowed to restart a France’s president said on Wednesday he reactor at its Hunterston plant in Scotland would meet Iranian officials ahead of this where cracks were found last year, for an weekend’s G7 summit and make proposals initial four month period, Britain’s nuclear to help de-escalate tensions between regulator said on Tuesday. The Washington and Tehran. “In the coming Hunterston B nuclear plant on the west hours before the G7 I will have meetings coast of Scotland is more than 40 years old with the Iranians to propose things,” and when operating can provide enough Emmanuel Macron told reporters. electricity to power more than 1.7 million homes. It has two reactors, so called Iran’s foreign minister said earlier this week reactors 3 and 4, which were both taken he would meet Macron and Foreign Minister offline last year after cracks were found Jean-Yves Le Drian in Paris on Friday. on the graphite core during routine https://in.reuters.com/article/mideast-iran-france/ inspections at the facility. Before either macron-to-meet-iranians-before-g7-to-float-ideas- reactor could restart EDF Energy had to for-defusing-crisis-idINKCN1VC0NK provide safety cases to the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) to show they Czechs pick Bell for $622 million would be safe to operate even in the army helicopter deal unlikely event of an earthquake. Jason Hovet, Reuters, August 22, 2019 “ONR is satisfied that Reactor 4 is safe to operate for the next period and can be safely The Czech Republic will buy 12 military shut down in all foreseeable circumstances, helicopters from U.S. maker Bell in a deal including that of a significant seismic event,” priced at 14.5 billion crowns ($622 million), the regulator said in a statement. EDF Defence Minister Lubomir Metnar said on Energy, British arm of France’s EDF, said Thursday. The Czech Republic, a NATO it had invested more than 125 million member, has pledged to raise defense pounds ($151 million) in research into the spending to 1.4% of gross domestic product operations of the graphite cores used in in 2021 and 2% by 2024, from 1.2% this year. most of its UK reactors. The deal includes the utility Venom aircraft and the attack Viper aircraft, which share https://www.reuters.com/article/us-edf-britain/ edf-gets-ok-to-restart-scottish-nuclear-plant- most of their parts. Bell is a unit of Textron. where-cracks-found-idUSKCN1VA134 27 Nuclear, Missile & Space Digest

Slovenia PM pushes for the mishap occurred during testing of construction of new nuclear reactor what he called promising new weapons systems. U.S.-based nuclear experts believe Marja Novak, Reuters, August22, 2019 the incident occurred during tests of a Slovenian Prime Minister Marjan Sarec nuclear-powered cruise missile. threw his weight on Thursday behind a https://www.reuters.com/article/us-russia-blast- tentative plan to build a new nuclear reactor norway/norway-nuclear-monitor-backtracks-on- to help support the country’s economic theory-of-second-russia-blast- growth. The government has not yet made idUSKCN1VH14C a final decision on whether to build a new reactor alongside Slovenia’s existing and UK, Germany, France warn on only nuclear power plant Krsko (NEK). South China Sea tensions “We have to put all our efforts into building David Milliken, Reuters, August 29, 2019 the second block of the nuclear power plant,” Sarec told reporters during a visit to Britain, Germany and France said on NEK, stressing increasing demand for Thursday they were concerned by tensions electricity. At present NEK, which is equally in the South China Sea, in a statement owned by Slovenia and Croatia, covers issued the day after a U.S. Navy destroyer about a fifth of Slovenian electricity needs. sailed near islands claimed by China. The In 2016 Slovenia and Croatia agreed to situation there “could lead to insecurity extend NEK’s lifespan by 20 years to 2043. and instability in the region,” the three NEK was built in cooperation with U.S. firm countries said in a joint statement issued Westinghouse and started operating in by Britain’s foreign ministry. 1984. It was originally scheduled to close in 2023. China and the United States have traded barbs in the past over what Washington https://www.reuters.com/article/us-slovenia- has said is Beijing’s militarization of the nuclear/slovenia-pm-pushes-for-construction-of- South China Sea via the building of new-nuclear-reactor-idUSKCN1VC1MH military installations on artificial islands and reefs in disputed waters. Norway nuclear monitor backtracks https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-china- on theory of second Russia blast britain/uk-germany-france-warn-on-south- Terje Solsvik, Reuters, August 27, 2019 china-sea-tensions-idUSKCN1VJ1ZN Reports of a second blast from a deadly UK calls for broad support to Russian rocket engine test may be wrong, tackle Gulf shipping threats and the signals could stem from unrelated mining activity, the Norwegian monitor that David Milliken, Reuters, August 30, 2019 first presented the double explosion theory said. The second explosion was detected by British Foreign Minister Dominic Raab infrasonic air pressure sensors in the will call for more international support to Norwegian town of Bardufoss, but further protect shipping in the Strait of Hormuz analysis, taking in additional data from when he meets his French and German Norway and Finland, pointed to a different counterparts later on Friday for talks about explanation, Norsar said on its website. Iran. Britain joined a U.S.-led mission to escort merchant vessels through the Strait The governor of Russia’s Arkhangelsk of Hormuz at the start of August but region, where the blast took place, has Germany and France declined to take part dismissed reports of another explosion. amid fears that it could increase the chance Russia’s state weather agency said on of open conflict with Iran. German Monday it had found the radioactive Chancellor Angela Merkel said a possible isotopes of strontium, barium and separate European maritime defense lanthanum in test samples after the operation would be discussed in Helsinki, accident. President Vladimir Putin has said though her foreign minister Heiko Maas 28 Volume 11, Number 17 September 15, 2019

previously acknowledged it would be slow undermines the economic rationale for to get off the ground. fast-breeder technology.

Last week, Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani https://www.reuters.com/article/france- said international waterways would be less nuclearpower-astrid/france-abandons-research- secure if his country’s oil exports faced into-fourth-generation-nuclear-le-monde- complete sanctions. Raab reiterated Britain’s idUSL5N25Q1MU commitment, alongside Germany and France, to a 2015 nuclear deal that U.S. EU will keep working to preserve President Donald Trump pulled out of last Iran nuclear deal: Mogherini year, reimposing sanctions on Iran. The 2015 deal between Iran and six world powers, Anne Kauranen, Reuters, August 30, 2019 reached under former U.S. President Barack The European Union will work to preserve Obama, aimed to curb Iran’s disputed the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran and would uranium enrichment program in exchange welcome any moves to add to its conditions, for the lifting of many international EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini sanctions on Tehran. Trump said on said on Friday. The deal has been in Monday at a G7 summit in Biarritz, France, jeopardy since the United States withdrew that he might be willing to meet Rouhani in from it last year and reimposed economic the coming weeks to end confrontation over sanctions on Iran, seeking to push Tehran the deal. into wider security concessions including curbs on its ballistic missile program. New https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-iran- hope of unblocking the political impasse britain/uk-calls-for-broad-support-to-tackle-gulf- shipping-threats-idUSKCN1VJ2U1 emerged after Iran’s foreign minister made a flying visit for talks with host France at the G7 summit in Biarritz last Sunday. France abandons research into fourth-generation nuclear-Le The 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and Monde international powers aimed to curb Iran’s nuclear activities in exchange for the lifting Geert De Clercq, Reuters, August 30, 2019 of many international sanctions on French state nuclear agency CEA has Tehran. Mogherini declined to answer abandoned research into so-called fourth- directly when asked if the United States generation nuclear reactors, newspaper Le now demanded that Iran to do more than Monde reported on Friday. The CEA has just going back in line with the existing done years of research and spent hundreds deal’s commitments. of millions of euros on developing a new https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast- sodium-cooled reactor in the ASTRID iran-eu/eu-will-keep-working-to-preserve-iran- (Advanced Sodium Technological Reactor nuclear-deal-mogherini-idUSKCN1VK1AY for Industrial Demonstration) project. In November last year, the CEA had already F. Russia said it was considering to reduce ASTRID’s capacity to a 100-200 megawatt (MW) Ecologist Says Russian Nuclear research model from the commercial-sized Agency Committed Crime by 600 MW originally planned. Conducting Test Near City In 2010, the ASTRID project was granted a The Moscow Times, August 16, 2019 652 million euro ($723 million) budget. Media reports have estimated France had An ecologist in northern Russia said budgeted up to 900 million euros through Thursday the state nuclear agency to 2019 for ASTRID. In theory, breeders Rosatom had committed a crime by could turn nuclear waste into fuel and make carrying out a mysterious test last week France self-sufficient in energy for decades, close to inhabited areas, which caused a but uranium prices have been on a spike in radiation in his native city. downward slope for a decade, which Rosatom has said that the Aug. 8 accident 29 Nuclear, Missile & Space Digest

occurred during a rocket test involving Russia, China and South Korea vie “isotope power sources” that was carried for Bulgarian nuclear project out on a sea platform in the White Sea. At least five people were killed in the accident. Tsvetelia Tsolova, Reuters, August 20, 2019 https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2019/08/16/ ecologist-says-russian-nuclear-agency-committed- State run energy companies from Russia, crime-by-conducting-test-near-city-a66893 China and South Korea are among seven groups interested in becoming strategic Russia completes MBIR hydraulic investors in Bulgaria’s Belene nuclear tests power project, the Balkan nation’s energy minister said on Tuesday. World Nuclear News, August 16, 2019 Neighboring North Macedonia has also Atommash said yesterday that the procedure expressed an interest in a minority stake had involved using a 600-tonne crane to and long-term contracts to buy electricity place the reactor vessel in a hydraulic test from the 2,000 megawatt project on the box. The reactor lid was installed and the river Danube, estimated to cost 10 billion vessel was filled with 80 tonnes of specially euros ($11 billion), Temenuzhka Petkova prepared water. During the hydraulic tests, said. a maximum pressure of 14 atmospheres was created in the reactor vessel, which https://www.reuters.com/article/us-bulgaria- confirmed the strength of the base metal and nuclear/russia-china-and-south-korea-vie-for- the quality of the welds, the company said. bulgarian-nuclear-project-idUSKCN1VA114 Rovshan Abbasov, director of the Volgodonsk branch of AEM Technology, Nuclear monitoring stations went said: “Hydro testing is a standard procedure mysteriously quiet after Russian for us, but MBIR is a thin-walled product missile facility explosion and has a metal thickness that is 12 times Barbara Starr and Ryan Browne, CNN, less than the usual Atommash VVER-type August 20, 2019 reactor. Working with such a thin metal is much more difficult.” Four Russia-based nuclear monitoring stations that monitor radioactive particles https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/ Russia-completes-MBIR-hydraulic-tests in the atmosphere have mysteriously gone quiet after an August 8 explosion at a Russia says no plans to install new Russian missile testing facility, an missiles unless U.S. deploys them explosion that has sparked confusion and concerns about possible increases in Reuters, August 18, 2019 radiation levels, according to the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Russia will not deploy new missiles as long Organization. CTBTO is an independent as the United States shows similar restraint body which watches for nuclear weapons in Europe and Asia, Russian defense testing violations with over 300 monitoring minister Sergei Shoigu said on Sunday, after stations around the world. Both Russia and Washington’s withdrawal from a Soviet-era the US are signatories to the treaty. arms pact.

The United States formally left the The two Russian radionuclide stations, Intermediate Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty called Dubna and Kirov, stopped with Russia earlier this month after accusing transmitting data within two days of the Moscow of violating the treaty and explosion, the organization said. deploying one banned type of missile, https://edition.cnn.com/2019/08/19/politics/ allegations the Kremlin denies. nuclear-monitoring-stations-russian-missile- facility/index.html https://www.reuters.com/article/us-russia-usa- missiles/russia-says-no-plans-to-install-new- missiles-unless-u-s-deploys-them-idUSKCN1V8054 30 Volume 11, Number 17 September 15, 2019

Russia to launch floating nuclear Putin To Russian Military: reactor ‘Prepare A Symmetrical Response’ Nastassia Astrasheuskaya, Financial Times, To U.S. Missile Test August 21, 2019 Sasha Ingber, National Public Radio, On Friday, three tugs will tow the Akademik August 23, 2019 Lomonosov barge out of Murmansk to begin Days after the United States tested a new a 5,000km voyage to a remote port on the cruise missile, Russian President Vladimir other side of Russia’s Arctic coast, and in Putin is calling for a symmetrical response. the process send waves through the nuclear His order comes weeks after the energy sector. Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, a landmark arms control agreement The vessel is a floating nuclear reactor, a between Washington and Moscow, portable power plant designed to supply collapsed on Aug. 2 amid concerns of a electricity to areas disconnected from the renewed arms race. grid, and envisaged by Russia’s state nuclear corporation Rosatom as the future of small- Putin told Russia’s Defense Ministry and scale nuclear power with an eye on export other agencies to “study the level of threat opportunities in developing countries. posed by these US actions and take https://www.ft.com/content/2edadf02-b538-11e9- exhaustive measures to prepare a 8cb2-799a3a8cf37b symmetrical response,” according to Russia-backed outlet RT. Russia’s floating plant heads for https://www.npr.org/2019/08/23/753662354/ final destination putin-to-russian-military-prepare-a-symmetri- World Nuclear News, August 23, 2019 cal-response-to-u-s-missile-test Rosatom Director General Alexey Likhachev Russia’s first seaborne nuclear gave the signal for the Akademik power plant sets sail across Arctic Lomonosov to set sail and said, “This is a momentous occasion for our company and Lev Sergeev and Maxim Shemetov, Reuters, for the Chukotka region. Today Akademik August 23, 2019 Lomonosovbegins its journey to Pevek, where Russia’s first floating nuclear power plant it will guarantee clean and reliable energy set sail on Friday from the Arctic port of supplies to people and businesses across the Murmansk to provide power to one of the region. This amounts to a significant contribution to creating an Arctic future country’s most remote regions, sparking that is both sustainable and prosperous.” environmental concerns. Upon completing the 4700 km journey to Developed by the Russian state nuclear Pevek, Akademik Lomonosov will become a company Rosatom, the plant, known as central part of the Chukotka region’s power “Akademik Lomonosov”, set off on a supply, replacing the Bilibino nuclear power 5,000 km (3,100 mile) journey through plant and the Chaunskaya combined heat Arctic waters to reach the Chukotka and power plant. region, which lies across the Bering Strait Rosatom said the project is one of the most from Alaska. promising small nuclear power reactors on https://www.reuters.com/article/us-russia- the market today. It is especially suited, it nuclear-floating-plant/russias-first-seaborne- said, to very remote areas and island states nuclear-power-plant-sets-sail-across-arctic- that require stable, green sources of energy. idUSKCN1VD164 The technology has attracted interest from the Middle East, North Africa, and South- East Asia, it said.

https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/ Russias-floating-plant-heads-for-final-destination 31 Nuclear, Missile & Space Digest

Earth’s final frontier: Russia’s isotopes of strontium, barium and floating nuclear power plant leaves lanthanum in test samples after a for new Arctic home mysterious accident during a test at a military site earlier this month. Russian Times, August 23, 2019 The deadly accident on Aug. 8 caused a The world’s first floating nuclear power brief rise in radiation levels in the nearby plant (NPP), designed and built by Russia, city of Severodvinsk. President Vladimir is set to start its trip across the Arctic to its Putin later said the mishap occurred ‘workplace’ in the Chukotka Region and will during testing of what he called promising provide Russia’s remote areas with heat and new weapons systems. energy. https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2019/08/26/ During a special ceremony on Friday the russia-finds-radioactive-isotopes-in-test- unique vessel, called the ‘Akademik samples-after-accident-in-severodvinsk-a67012 Lomonosov,’ will leave the city of Murmansk to float thousands of kilometers, all the way Russia says radioactive isotopes to the small far-eastern port of Pevek, which released by mystery blast sits on the Arctic coast of Chukotka. Two tug boats and one reserve vessel will tow the Matthew Bodner, Guardian, August 26, floating nuclear power plant. 2019 https://www.rt.com/business/467122-floating- Russia’s state meteorological service says nuclear-plant-arctic/ it has identified four radioactive substances in samples taken from Russia says it launched 2 ballistic Severodvinsk, a city where radiation levels missiles in the Arctic Ocean as part briefly spiked after a mysterious of combat training explosion at a site 18 miles (29km) away. The explosion on 8 August killed at Amir Vera, CNN, August 25, 2019 least five nuclear specialists from one of Russia launched two ballistic missiles from the premier research hubs run by the state nuclear-powered submarines in the Arctic nuclear energy corporation, Rosatom. Ocean and the Barents Sea on Saturday, The substances were identified as according to a tweet from the Russian “technogenic radionuclides” – strontium- Ministry of Defense. Described as a 91, barium-139, barium-140 and successful test launch, the missiles were part lanthanum-140. These are fast-decaying of combat training, the ministry said. Video radioactive substances that would emit of the missiles’ launch was also shown in inert radioactive gases if exposed to the the tweet. open air. “Nuclear powered submarines Tula and https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/aug/ Yuri Dolgoruky launch ballistic missiles 26/russia-confirms-radiation-spike-after- Sineva and Bulava from Circumpolar region weapons-test-blast of the Arctic Ocean and the Barents Sea,” the tweet read. Russia to promote initiatives https://edition.cnn.com/2019/08/24/europe/russia- aimed at overcoming nuclear deal test-fires-ballistic-missiles/index.html crisis, says Lavrov Russia Finds Radioactive Isotopes TASS News Agency, August 28, 2019 in Test Samples After Accident in Russia will be promoting initiatives aimed Severodvinsk at overcoming the crisis centering around the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action The Moscow Times, August 26, 2019 (JCPOA). However, they should be Russia’s state weather agency said on acceptable to all parties to the deal, Russian Monday it had found the radioactive Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told 32 Volume 11, Number 17 September 15, 2019

reporters at a news conference on explosion involved the Burevestnik Wednesday. nuclear-powered intercontinental cruise missile, dubbed the SSC-X-9 Skyfall by “Regarding the initiatives to overcome the NATO. crisis around the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action on Iran’s nuclear program put https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2019/08/30/ forward by the French leadership, there was russias-mystery-nuclear-explosion-occurred- a detailed conversation between Presidents during-missile-recovery-at-sea-reports-a67084 [Emmanuel] Macron [of France] and [Vladimir] Putin [of Russia] at Fort de West Asia Bregancon a week ago at an extraordinary G. Iran Russian-French summit. President Putin supported President Macron’s proposal Iran ready to scale up nuclear aimed at restoring the viability of the Joint work by installing advanced Comprehensive Plan of Action and all the centrifuges: top MP agreements enshrined in it,” he said. Tehran Times, August 17, 2019 https://tass.com/politics/1075387 The head of the Majlis Nuclear Committee How Russia and Iran Dominated the has said Iran is ready to use advanced G7 Summit centrifuges in the third phase of reducing its commitments to the 2015 nuclear deal, Hunter DeRensis, National Interest Blog, officially called the Joint Comprehensive August 28, 2019 Plan of Action (JCPOA). “We have many options to choose from in the third phase, Monday concluded the three-day summit such as utilizing advanced centrifuges,” held in Biarritz, France, by the Group of Mehr on Saturday quoted Mohammad Seven (G7), which is composed of the most Ebrahim Rezaee as saying. advanced economies in the world: France, Canada, Germany, Japan, Italy, the United “In fact, we are currently using the old IR1 Kingdom, and the United States. European centrifuges, while the IR6 and IR8 Union Council President Donald Tusk was centrifuges are ready to be used,” he also present, along with a litany of heads of stated. Rezaee said IR6 and IR8 centrifuges state who were each invited by a respectively have a capacity 26 to 48 times participating G7 member. more than the IR1 ones. Centrifuges are machines that spin uranium hexafluoride https://nationalinterest.org/feature/how-russia- gas (UF6) at high speeds. and-iran-dominated-g7-summit-76736 The legislator said Iran can further activate Russia’s Mystery Nuclear Explosion its production of heavy water, increase its Occurred During Missile Recovery stockpile of heavy water and increase its at Sea — Reports enrichment level. The Westerners should know well that Iran scaled back its nuclear The Moscow Times, August 30, 2019 program because of its commitment to the The mysterious explosion in northern Russia JCPOA, and all the actions taken by Iran that caused a spike in radiation levels under the deal are reversible. happened during a mission to salvage a https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/439328/ nuclear-powered cruise missile from the Iran-ready-to-scale-up-nuclear-work-by- bottom of the sea, media have cited a U.S. installing-advanced-centrifuges intelligence assessment as saying.

Five nuclear engineers were killed in a liquid Satellite images suggest Iran propulsion system blast at Russia’s naval satellite launch looms missile test facility, leading to a brief spike Arab News, August 18, 2019 in radiation on Aug. 8. The secrecy surrounding the accident has led outside Iran appears to be preparing another observers to speculate that what the satellite launch after twice failing this year 33 Nuclear, Missile & Space Digest

to put one in orbit, despite US accusations The seizure of the tanker by British Royal that the Islamic Republic’s program helps it Marines near Gibraltar on July 4 on develop ballistic missiles. Satellite images of suspicion of carrying oil to Syria in the Imam Khomeini Space Center in Iran’s violation of European Union sanctions led Semnan province this month show to a weeks-long stand-off between Tehran increased activity at the site, as heightened and the West. It also heightened tensions tensions persist between Washington and on international oil shipping routes Tehran over its collapsing nuclear deal with through the Gulf. Gibraltar, a British world powers. While Iran routinely only overseas territory, lifted the detention announces such launches after the fact, that order on Thursday but the next day a activity coupled with an official saying a federal court in Washington issued a satellite would soon be handed over to the warrant for the seizure of the tanker, the country’s Defense Ministry suggests the oil it carries and nearly $1 million. attempt will be coming soon. He also said the US warrant had no legal “The Imam Khomeini space launch center basis and was politically motivated to is usually quite empty,” said Fabian Hinz, a “make more escalation.” Greek authorities researcher at the James Martin Center for had no immediate comment on the Nonproliferation Studies at the Middlebury situation. Institute of International Studies in Monterey, California. “Now we’ve seen Iran said on Monday any US attempt to pictures where you can see activities at this seize the tanker would have “heavy assembly center and something happening consequences.” at the (launch) pad.” https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-mideast-iran- “If you put both together it sounds very likely tanker/iran-tanker-heads-to-greece-after-release- there’s something that’s going to happen,” iran-warns-u-s-against-seizure-attempt- idUKKCN1V90DS he said. The satellite images of the space center, taken Aug. 9, show activity at one facility there, Hinz said Sunday. Another US says it has blocked billions of image of a launch pad at the facility shows dollars from reaching Iran and its water that’s run off it and pooled, likely a proxies sign of workers preparing the site for a Arab News, August 20, 2019 launch, he said. The US has blocked billions of dollars from https://www.arabnews.com/node/1541726/middle- reaching Iran and its Islamic Revolutionary east Guards Corps, a senior State Department official said Tuesday. The elite force, which Iran tanker heads to Greece after spearheads Tehran’s aggressive regional release, Iran warns US against policies, has been the chief target of wide- seizure attempt ranging sanctions from the Trump administration. It has been blamed for a Reuters, August 19, 2019 number of attacks on international An Iranian tanker sailed through the shipping in or near the Strait of Hormuz Mediterranean toward Greece on Monday in recent months as tensions have escalated after it was released from detention off between Iran and both its Arab and Gibraltar, and Tehran said that any US move Western rivals. In a briefing on Middle to seize the vessel again would have “heavy East security, Brian Hook, the US Special consequences.” The Grace 1, renamed the Representative for Iran, said the regime Adrian Darya 1, left anchorage off Gibraltar and its proxies are weaker today than about 11 p.m. (2100 GMT) on Sunday. when Donald Trump took office. Refinitiv ship tracking data showed on Monday that the vessel was heading to Hook said Iran’s military budget went Kalamata in Greece and was scheduled to down 10 percent during the first year of arrive next Sunday at 0000 GMT. his administration and 28 percent during 34 Volume 11, Number 17 September 15, 2019

the second year. That included a 17 percent listed destination in its Automatic cut for the IRGC and its foreign wing the Identification System to Mersin, Turkey, a Quds Force, he said. “We are telling Iran that port city in the country’s south and home it is not acceptable to provide lethal to an oil terminal. However, mariners can assistance on a regular basis to terrorist input any destination into the AIS, so organizations,” Hook said. Turkey may not be its true destination. Mersin is some 200 kilometers (125 miles) https://www.arabnews.com/node/1542681/middle- northwest of a refinery in Baniyas, Syria, east where authorities alleged the Adrian Darya had been heading before being Europe should pre-purchase Iran’s seized off Gibraltar in early July. Iranian oil through INSTEX first: CBI chief state media did not acknowledge the new reported destination of the Adrian Darya, Tehran Times, August 21, 2019 which carries 2.1 million barrels of Iranian The governor of the Central Bank of Iran crude oil worth some $130 million. Nor (CBI) has said that the Europeans should was there any immediate reaction from show their sincerity about their Instrument Turkey, whose President Recep Tayyip in Support of Trade Exchanges (INSTEX) by Erdogan deals directly with Tehran and ordering Iran’s crude. “If the Westerners are Russia over Syria’s long war. serious and determined about this issue (INSTEX), they should inject money to it https://www.apnews.com/ equal to the extent that our oil revenues have 6dbf7769a32849e6a6e2817a91a67519 been harmed or file for Iran’s oil futures,” Abdolnasser Hemmati said in an interview Iran test fires new missile with the IRIB TV on Tuesday. Reuters, August 24, 2019 He stressed that if the Europeans want to Iran has test fired a new missile, the keep the nuclear deal alive, they should commander of Iran’s Revolutionary implement their undertakings, noting that Guards, Major General Hossein Salami, INSTEX should also include the sanctioned said on Saturday, according to the Tasnim goods too. news agency. “Our country is always the arena for testing a variety of defense and https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/439458/ strategic systems and these are non-stop Europe-should-pre-purchase-Iran-s-oil-through- movements toward the growth of our INSTEX-first-CBI deterrent power,” Salami said. “And yesterday was one of the successful days Iranian oil tanker pursued by US for this nation.” says it is going to Turkey He did not provide any additional AP, August 24, 2019 information about the missile. US An Iranian-flagged oil tanker pursued by President Donald Trump pulled out of an the U.S. amid heightened tensions between international agreement on Iran’s nuclear Tehran and Washington changed its listed program last year and stepped up destination to a port in Turkey early sanctions on Tehran in order to curb its Saturday after Greece said it wouldn’t risk development of ballistic missiles and its its relations with America by aiding it. support for proxies in Syria, Yemen, Meanwhile, Iran sanctioned a prominent Lebanon and Iraq. The two countries have Washington-based think tank that led been exchanging threats and warnings criticism of Tehran’s 2015 nuclear deal with since then. Iran shot down a US military world powers over its alleged “economic surveillance drone in the Gulf with a terrorism,” something the organization surface-to-air missile in June, nearly setting described as a “badge of honor.” off a conflict with the United States. The Islamic Republic says the drone was over The crew of the oil tanker Adrian Darya 1, its territory, but Washington says it was formerly known as the Grace 1, updated its in international airspace. Iran displayed 35 Nuclear, Missile & Space Digest

what it described as a domestically built Biarritz, France, where the G7 leaders long-range, surface-to-air missile air defense were meeting. system on Thursday. The visit came only hours after sources said https://www.arabnews.com/node/1544586/middle-east French President Immanuel Macron had been given mission by his G7 counterparts Macron gets G7 nod over plan to to engage in talks with Iran. “We agreed defuse tensions with Iran on what we wanted to say jointly on Iran,” Reuters quoted Macron as saying. Tehran Times, August 25, 2019 “There is a message from the G7 on our French President Emmanuel Macron said objectives and the fact that we share them on Sunday that G7 leaders had agreed to a is important, which avoids divisions that joint action on Iran with the aim of defusing in the end weaken everybody.” tensions and opening a new negotiation https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/439650/Zarif- with Tehran. “We agreed on what we s-trip-to-France-not-related-to-G7-spokesman wanted to say jointly on Iran,” Reuters quoted Macron as saying. “There is a Iran says it will not negotiate message from the G7 on our objectives and missile work, wants to export the fact that we share them is important, more oil which avoids divisions that in the end weaken everybody.” “Everyone wants to Tehran Times, August 26, 2019 avoid a conflict, Donald Trump was Iran wants to export a minimum of extremely clear on that point.” It came after 700,000 barrels per day of its oil and a French official said the French president ideally up to 1.5 million bpd if the West had shared details of the plan to ease tensions wants to negotiate with Tehran to save a with Iran during his working lunch with 2015 nuclear deal, two Iranian officials President Donald Trump at the G-7 summit. and one diplomat told Reuters on Sunday. The official, who was speaking anonymously “As a goodwill gesture and a step toward in accordance with the French presidency’s creating space for negotiations, we have customary practices, said France has been responded to France’s proposal. We want working for several weeks on the plan, the to export 700,000 bpd of oil and get paid Associated Press reported on Saturday. in cash ... and that is just for a start. It https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/439592/ should reach to 1.5 million bpd,” said a Macron-gets-G7-nod-over-plan-to-defuse-ten- senior Iranian official, who asked not to sions-with-Iran be named.

Zarif’s trip to France not related to A second official said “Iran’s ballistic missile program cannot and will not be G7: spokesman negotiated. We have underlined it clearly Tehran Times, August 26, 2019 and openly.” The officials did not elaborate on the reference to a French proposal. Government spokesman Ali Rabiei said on French officials were not immediately Monday that the Iranian foreign minister’s available for comment. trip to France was not related to the G7 summit and was carried out due to a request https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/439645/ from the French side. “Mohammad Javad Iran-says-it-will-not-negotiate-missile-work- Zarif’s trip was unrelated with the G7,” wants-to-export Rabiei said during a press conference in Tehran. “The French government has taken Iran’s Rouhani says no talks with an initiative and held talks with the U.S. to US unless sanctions lifted reduce Iran-U.S. tensions.” He said Iran Reuters, August 27, 2019 welcomes the gesture of goodwill by France, but plays no role in the France-U.S. talks. Iran will not talk to the United States until Zarif on Sunday paid a surprise visit to all sanctions imposed on Tehran are lifted, 36 Volume 11, Number 17 September 15, 2019

President Hassan Rouhani said on Tuesday, the Iranian youth’s national faith. Jalili a day after President Donald Trump said he made the remarks while referring to the would meet his Iranian counterpart to try unveiling of the domestically-built missile to end a nuclear standoff. Trump said on defense system, dubbed “Bavar-373” Monday he would meet Iran’s president (faith), ISNA reported on Tuesday. under the right circumstances to end a confrontation that began when Washington “The only response to this maximum pulled out of Tehran’s 2015 nuclear deal pressure of Trump and small gestures of with six powers and reimposed sanctions on Macron is the great faith of the Iranian the country. Trump also said talks were nation and the efforts of this land’s under way to see how countries could open children and nothing else,” he said. The credit lines to keep Iran’s economy afloat. comments came after President Macron said that G7 leaders had agreed to a joint Rouhani said Iran was always ready to hold action on Iran with the aim of defusing talks. “But first the US should act by lifting tensions and opening a new negotiation all illegal, unjust and unfair sanctions with Tehran. imposed on Iran,” he said in a speech broadcast live on state TV. “We agreed on what we wanted to say jointly on Iran,” Reuters quoted Macron https://in.reuters.com/article/iran-usa/irans- as saying on Sunday. “There is a message rouhani-says-no-talks-with-u-s-unless-sanctions- from the G7 on our objectives and the fact lifted-idIND5N23V015 that we share them is important, which avoids divisions that in the end weaken Not all problems can be solved everybody.” “Everyone wants to avoid a through diplomacy: ex-envoy conflict, Donald Trump was extremely clear on that point.” Tehran Times, August 27, 2019 https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/439681/ A former Iranian ambassador says not all Iranian-youth-will-hit-back-at-Trump-s- of the country’s problems will be resolved bullying-Macron-s-deceit through diplomacy. “Because of our current circumstances, there’s this need to increase US sanctions networks connected interactions with other countries, including to Iran’s govt, military the small European countries,” said Alireza Farajirad, who has served as ambassador to Reuters, August 28, 2019 Norway as well as to Hungary, Mehr The United States imposed sanctions on reported on Tuesday. Wednesday on two networks it says “Of course we must bear in mind that with helped boost Iran’s nuclear program and increasing activities in the field of diplomacy, evade US and international sanctions to no all of our problems will be resolved,” he benefit Tehran’s government and military, said. the Treasury Department said. One of the networks used a Hong Kong-based front https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/439680/Not- company to avoid sanctions and target US all-problems-can-be-solved-through-diplomacy-ex- technology and components on behalf of envoy people tied to Iran’s government and its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the Iranian youth will hit back at US Treasury Department said in a Trump’s bullying, Macron’s deceit: statement. ex-nuclear negotiator The other network obtained aluminum Tehran Times, August 27, 2019 alloy products controlled by the Nuclear Suppliers Group, a body that oversees the Former chief nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili export of goods that can be used for says Donald Trump’s bullying and Emanuel nuclear weapons manufacturing, on Macron’s deception will be responded to by behalf of companies owned or controlled 37 Nuclear, Missile & Space Digest

by Iran’s defense ministry, the department EU backs US-Iran talks but says said. he US Treasury Department also nuclear deal must stay slapped sanctions on individuals connected to the two networks. Saudi Gazette, August 29, 2019

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-iran- The EU’s diplomatic chief said on sanctions/u-s-sanctions-networks-it-says-are- Thursday that the bloc would support connected-to-irans-government-military- talks between the US and Tehran, but only idUSKCN1VI1S3 if the current nuclear deal with Iran is preserved. Tensions have risen Iran’s Zarif to Japan PM: we are not dramatically in the Gulf, where Iran has seeking heightened tensions seized tankers, but EU countries are reluctant to join a US-led operation to Reuters, August 28, 2019 protect commercial shipping, floating instead their own observation mission. The Iran is not seeking to increase tension but idea of direct talks between Washington every country should be able to enjoy its and Tehran as a way out of the crisis has rights under international law, Foreign grown this week after Trump mooted the Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on idea and the new US defense secretary Wednesday. urged Iran’s leaders to engage.

Zarif made the comment in Yokohama, near The EU has desperately sought to stop the Tokyo, at the beginning of a meeting with deal from collapsing completely, arguing Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. “As it is the best way to stop Iran developing our president has said, we are not at all nuclear bombs. EU diplomatic chief seeking heightened tensions,” Zarif said, Federica Mogherini gave a cautious speaking through a translator. “We believe welcome to the idea of negotiations, after every country should be able to enjoy its Trump said Monday he was ready to meet rights under international law.” US Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani within President Donald Trump pulled the United weeks. “We are always in favor of talks, States out of an international agreement the more people talk, the more people aimed at curbing Iran’s nuclear program in understand each other better, on the basis 2015 and reimposed sanctions on it. Trump of clarity and on the basis of respect,” said on Monday he would meet Iran’s Mogherini said as she arrived for a meeting president under the right circumstances to of EU foreign and defense ministers in end the confrontation over the nuclear deal, Helsinki. and that talks were underway to see how countries could open credit lines to keep http://saudigazette.com.sa/article/575801/ Iran’s economy afloat. World/Mena/EU-backs-US-Iran-talks-but-says- nuclear-deal-must-stay But Trump ruled out lifting economic sanctions to compensate for losses suffered Satellite photos shows burning by Iran. rocket at Iranian space center On Tuesday, President Hassan Rouhani said Arab News, August 29, 2019 Iran would not talk to the United States until all sanctions were lifted. Japan, Washington’s A rocket at an Iranian space center that closest Asian ally, has historically had was to conduct a satellite launch criticized friendly ties with Iran. Abe visited Tehran by the US apparently exploded on its in June to try to ease tensions. launch pad, satellite images show, suggesting the Islamic Republic suffered https://www.reuters.com/article/us-japan-iran/ its third failed launch this year alone. State irans-zarif-to-japan-pm-we-are-not-seeking- media and officials did not immediately heightened-tensions-idUSKCN1VI0H9 acknowledge the incident at the Imam Khomeini Space Center in Iran’s Semnan province. 38 Volume 11, Number 17 September 15, 2019

However, satellite images by Inc. H. Yemen showed a black plume of smoke rising above a launch pad there, with what appeared to US military drone shot down in be the charred remains of a rocket and its Yemen launch stand. In previous days, satellite Reuters, August 26, 2019 images had shown officials there repainted the launch pad blue. A US military MQ-9 drone was shot down in Yemen’s Dhamar governate, southeast On Thursday morning, half of that paint of the Houthi-controlled capital Sanaa, apparently had been burned away. two US officials told Reuters on “Whatever happened there, it blew up and Wednesday, the second such incident in you’re looking at the smoldering remains of recent months. The officials said the drone what used to be there,” said David was shot down late on Tuesday. Schmerler, a senior research associate at the Middlebury Institute of International This is not the first time a US drone has Studies. Schmerler told The Associated Press been shot down in Yemen. In June, the US that the images of the space center suggested military said that Houthi rebels had shot that the rocket either exploded during down a US government-operated drone ignition or possibly briefly lifted off before with assistance from Iran. crashing back down on the pad. Water runoff from the pad, likely from trying to US forces have occasionally launched extinguish the blaze, could be seen along drone and air strikes against Yemen’s Al- with a host of vehicles parked nearby. Qaeda branch, known as Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). The group https://www.arabnews.com/node/1547076/middle-east has taken advantage of a four-year-old war between the Houthi movement and Trump says US not involved in Iran President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi’s satellite launch failure internationally recognized government to try to strengthen its position in the Reuters, August 30, 2019 impoverished country. One of the officials US President Donald Trump said on Friday said that it appeared that the armed that the United States was not involved with military drone, made by California-based a failed Iranian rocket launch, and he wished General Atomics, had been shot down by Tehran luck at finding out what went a surface-to-air missile operated by the wrong. “The United States of America was Iran-aligned Houthi group. not involved in the catastrophic accident during final launch preparations for the https://www.reuters.com/article/us-yemen- Safir SLV Launch at Semnan Launch Site security-usa-drone/u-s-military-drone-shot- One in Iran,” Trump said on Twitter. The down-over-yemen-officials-idUSKCN1VB180 rocket exploded on its launch pad at a space center in northern Iran on Thursday, an I. Iraq Iranian official said. A US official also said Iran suffered a satellite launch failure. Iraqi PM’s government facing collapse over Israeli airstrikes: The United States has warned Iran against Military and political officials rocket launches, fearful the technology used to put satellites into orbit could enable Arab News, August 27, 2019 Tehran to develop the ballistic missile Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi’s capability needed to launch nuclear government could be toppled within warheads. Tehran denies the US accusation weeks in the wake of a series of strikes on that such activity is a cover for ballistic missile targets associated with paramilitary development. groups linked to Iran, sources claim. https://in.reuters.com/article/iran-space-launch- Government officials, comman-ders of usa/trump-says-us-not-involved-in-iran-satellite- armed factions and observers told Arab launch-failure-idINKCN1VK2A4 News on Tuesday that recent bomb 39 Nuclear, Missile & Space Digest

attacks have embarrassed the premier and produce precision-guided missiles. Such robbed him of domestic and international missiles — which Hezbollah acknowledges support. possessing — could potentially pose a counter-balance to Israel’s overwhelming Iraq has seen 18 bombings and two airstrikes military force in any future war, with the over the past three years, most of which have capacity to home in on and knock out core hit warehouses and headquarters of armed infrastructure sites. factions that have fought Daesh alongside the Iraqi government and which are mostly https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast- linked to Iran. The latest bombings last week security-israel-lebanon/israel-says-iran-boosting- targeted three weapons stores near Baghdad bid-to-set-up-hezbollah-precision-missile-plants- belonging to Kata’ib Hezbollah-Iraq, an anti- in-lebanon-idUSKCN1VJ1OI US and pro-Iranian Shiite militia in Iraq, while a drone hit one of its headquarters in K. Turkey the border city of Qaim near the Iraqi-Syrian border on Sunday, killing two of its Turkey, Russia seek closer commanders. defense, aviation cooperation at MAKS 2019 Airshow https://www.arabnews.com/node/1546156/middle- east Daily Sabah, September 27, 2019 Leaders of Turkey and Russia expressed J. Israel their intent to further develop their Israel accuses Iran of pushing cooperation in the defense and aviation industry at the MAKS 2019 International Hezbollah missile plants in Aviation and Space Salon, a biennial Lebanon showcase of Russia’s aerospace industry. Reuters, August 29, 2019 Speaking at the inauguration ceremony at Zhukovsky Airport near Moscow Israel accused Iran on Thursday of stepping alongside his Russian counterpart up efforts to provide the Hezbollah militia Vladimir Putin, Erdoðan said he believed with precision-guided missile production that “the synergy we have been cultivating facilities, a warning to Beirut that Israeli with Russia in aviation and space counter-strikes could escalate. “Dir balak,” technology will help deepen bilateral Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in relations.” The two leaders later toured the public remarks directed at Lebanon, using exhibition and inspected various military the Arabic for “watch out.” Israel and and civilian aircraft. Lebanon’s Hezbollah, which last fought a war in 2006, are on high alert after drones Erdoðan was in Moscow for a one-day were used at the weekend to attack what a trip, as part of which the leaders discussed security official in the region described as a bilateral relations and international issues. target linked to precision-guided missile Ahead of the bilateral meeting, Erdoðan projects. told reporters that he was “pleased” to visit the fair, and seeing fighter aircraft Hezbollah has blamed Israel for the rare and passenger planes. He said the steps strike in Beirut, and said it will retaliate. The Russia has taken in space aviation proves heavily armed Shiite movement has denied its position in the science world. Putin, for harboring such missile facilities. Lebanon his part, said Russia and Turkey can unite has accused Israel of seeking pretexts for efforts in the industry for aircraft aggression. Without claiming responsibility construction. for the drone attack, the Israeli military published what it said were details about https://www.dailysabah.com/defense/2019/08/ an extensive Iranian-sponsored campaign to 27/turkey-russia-seek-closer-defense-aviation- provide Hezbollah with the means to cooperation-at-maks-2019-airshow 40 Volume 11, Number 17 September 15, 2019

Confusion as Turkey says Iranian East Asia tanker now headed to Lebanon L. North Korea Reuters, August 30, 2019 NK raises military tension on Turkey said on Friday that an Iranian tanker peninsula: NSC at the center of a confrontation between Washington and Tehran was headed to Yonhap, Korea Herald, August 16, 2019 Lebanon’s waters after changing course 2 unidentified projectiles flew 230 several times, although Beirut said it was not kilometers with peak altitude of 30 km: informed of the plan. According to Refinitiv JCS. The firing came along with a warning tracking data, the Adrian Darya, formerly that North Korea could end dialogue with called Grace 1, made another U-turn on South Korea in apparent protest against Friday and headed for Turkey’s Iskenderun the Seoul-Washington military exercise port — 200 km (124 miles) north of Syria’s and Seoul’s defense plan, announced Baniyas refinery, the tanker’s suspected earlier this week, to outline its five-year original destination. When the ship was major weapons procurement projects. The released off Gibraltar in mid-August after a two projectiles were fired from its eastern five-week standoff, Iran assured the United coastal county of Tongchon in Kangwon Kingdom that the cargo was not headed to Province earlier in the day, according to Syria. The latest twist sets it in the direction the Joint Chiefs of Staff. No other details of Syria, and raises the possibility that a ship- were immediately known, including their to-ship transfer of cargo may be attempted type, flight range and maximum altitude. once it nears Lebanon’s coast. Turkish “Our military is monitoring the situation Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on in case of additional launches while Friday that despite the tracking data, the maintaining a readiness posture,” the JCS tanker was “for sure” not going to Turkish said in a brief release. ports but rather toward Lebanese waters. http://www.koreaherald.com/ Earlier on Friday, the minister said the ship view.php?ud=20190816000031&ACE_SEARCH=1 was headed to Lebanon’s “main” port. “I didn’t mean that this tanker is going to a N. Korea fires more projectiles, Lebanese port, but (rather) according to the information coordinates it is heading to the rules out talks with South territorial waters of the country,” he later Kim Tong-hyung, AP News, August 16, told reporters at an Oslo forum. “It doesn’t 2019 mean that it is going to reach a Lebanese port,” he said of the tanker that was carrying North Korea on Friday bluntly criticized 2 million barrels of oil when released at South Korean President Moon Jae-in for Gibraltar. “We are monitoring it very continuing to hold military exercises with closely.” In response, Lebanese Finance the U.S. and over his rosy comments on Minister Ali Hassan Khalil said in a separate inter-Korean diplomacy, and said interview: “We have not been informed of Pyongyang has no current plans to talk the Iranian oil tanker Adrian Darya heading with Seoul. The statement by an here. unidentified government spokesman came hours before South Korea’s military https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-iran- detected two projectiles North Korea fired tanker/confusion-as-turkey-says-iranian-tanker- into the sea to extend a torrid streak of now-headed-to-lebanon-idUSKCN1VK0N0 weapons display that’s apparently aimed at pressuring Washington and Seoul over their joint drills and slow nuclear negotiations.

South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the projectiles launched from the North’s eastern coast flew about 230 kilometers 41 Nuclear, Missile & Space Digest

(143 miles) on an apogee of 30 kilometers up “invincible military capabilities no one (18 miles) before landing in waters between dare provoke.” The report did not mention the Korean Peninsula and Japan. The U.S. any specific comment about the United and South Korean militaries were analyzing States or South Korea. the launches but didn’t immediately say whether the weapons were ballistic missiles KCNA did not describe what Friday’s or rocket artillery. weapons were or how they performed, but said that the tests were successful and https://www.apnews.com/ strengthened the military’s confidence in bfeaa5c3f8a84436b500f2c23a68e9d0 the reliability of the system.

North Korea says it tested ‘new https://www.apnews.com/ 3db6a538e77d45f1b7fc851ac3322bd1 weapon’ under leader Kim’s guidance Speculation swirls over possible Korea Times, August 17, 2019 US-NK meeting this week North Korea said Saturday that it has tested Korea Times, August 20, 2019 a “new weapon” under the guidance of its U.S. Special Representative for North leader, Kim Jong-un, in the launch of two Korea Stephen Biegun’s upcoming trip to projectiles the previous day. Kim “guided South Korea is fanning speculation of a the test-fire of (a) new weapon again on possible meeting between him and North Friday morning,” the Korean Central News Korean officials on the inter-Korean border Agency said. “The national defense this week. scientists showed a perfect result in the test- fire, too, and helped cement bigger The timing of his visit ¯ Tuesday to confidence in this weapon system.” “It is our Thursday ¯ is conspicuous because it starts party’s goal of defense building to possess on the day military exercises between invincible military capabilities no one dare Seoul and Washington end, the same day provoke and to keep bolstering them,” Kim the North has said it would be ready to was quoted as saying. “Everyone should resume talks with the U.S. If a meeting is remember that it is the party’s core plan and realized, it would mark the resumption of fixed will for defense building to possess denuclearization negotiations that have such a powerful force strong enough to stalled since a second summit between discourage any forces from daring to U.S. President Donald Trump and North provoke us.” Korean leader Kim Jong-un in February https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2019/ ended without a deal. 09/103_274085.html https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/ 2019/09/103_274215.html Kim expresses ‘great satisfaction’ over NKorea weapons tests Warning to North Korea? US tests Kim Tong-hyung, AP News, August 17, 2019 medium-range cruise missile for North Korea said Saturday that leader Kim first time in 32 years Jong Un supervised another test-firing of an Korea Times, August 20, 2019 unspecified new weapon, seen as an attempt to pressure Washington and Seoul over The U.S. military has conducted a flight slow nuclear negotiations and their joint test of a type of missile banned for more military exercises. Pyongyang’s Korean than 30 years by a treaty that both the Central News Agency, or KCNA, said that United States and Russia abandoned this following Friday’s launches, Kim expressed month, the Pentagon said. The test off the “great satisfaction” over his military’s coast of California on Sunday marked the “mysterious and amazing success rates” in resumption of an arms competition that recent testing activity and vowed to build some analysts worry could increase U.S.- 42 Volume 11, Number 17 September 15, 2019

Russian tensions. The Trump N. Korea says ‘no interest in administration has said it remains interested denuke talks’ as long as South-US in useful arms control but questions military drills in place Moscow’s willingness to adhere to its treaty commitments. The Pentagon said it tested a Korea Times, August 22, 2019 modified ground-launched version of a North Korea said Thursday it has no Navy Tomahawk cruise missile, which was interest in dialogue as long as South Korea launched from San Nicolas Island and and the United States keep up military accurately struck its target after flying more threats against it, a day after two F-35 than 500 kilometers (310 miles). The missile stealth fighters arrived in the South. A was armed with a conventional, not nuclear, spokesperson for the North’s foreign warhead. ministry issued the warning in a Defense officials had said last March that statement, also denouncing South Korea this missile likely would have a range of for violating inter-Korean agreements to about 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) and that reduce cross-border tensions by it might be ready for deployment within 18 introducing high-tech weapons from the months. U.S, calling such an act a “grave provocation.” https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2019/ 09/103_274221.html Stephen Biegun, said in Seoul that Washington is ready to resume talks with N. Korea continued nuclear program Pyongyang.”We remain unchanged in our in 2018 in Yongbyon: IAEA position to resolve all issues in a peaceful manner through dialogue and negotiation. Kim So-hyun, Korea Herald, August 21, 2019 However, dialogue accompanied by military threats is of no interest to us,” the North Korea continued and further statement said. “This act of continuously developed its nuclear program last year at a introducing the cutting-edge lethal 5-megawatt reactor in Yongbyon, the equipment is a grave provocation that has International Atomic Energy Agency said in openly denied the joint declarations and its annual report. According to the IAEA the military agreement between the north report, which will be submitted to the 74th and the south of Korea,” it added. United Nations General Assembly in New York next month, the agency observed https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/ through satellite imagery “indications that 2019/09/103_274352.html were consistent with the operation of the Yongbyon Experimental Nuclear Power North Korea prepared for Plant (five-megawatt) reactor until mid- dialogue, confrontation August 2018.” Park Han-na, Korea Herald, August 23, The IAEA also said it observed indications 2019 consistent with the use of the centrifuge enrichment facility known to be located North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Yong- within the Yongbyon nuclear fuel rod ho said Friday the regime is ready for both fabrication plant, and activities consistent dialogue and confrontation with the US, with the fabrication of reactor components criticizing Washington for using sanctions as well as the possible transfer of these as leverage in denuclearization talks. In a components into the reactor building. statement via the state-run Korean Central News Agency, Ri condemned US http://www.koreaherald.com/ Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for view.php?ud=20190821000522&ACE_SEARCH=1 invoking sanctions imposed on the North in a recent interview with Washington Examiner. 43 Nuclear, Missile & Space Digest

“The US is miscalculating if it is trying to for often washing”. Pompeo is just the not lose (the) confrontational stance against diehard toxin of the US diplomacy. us and confront us with sanctions,” Ri said. “Then, we would remain the biggest threat Nothing decent can be expected from to the US for a long time and make it realize Pompeo, who are subjected to a firestorm what it has to do for the sake of of criticism from many countries as he denuclearization once and for all,” he adopts the most wicked methods of the added. “We are ready both for confrontation Central Intelligence Agency as diplomatic and dialogue.” Calling Pompeo “a means when he deals with issues in every disrupter” in negotiations between North part of the world. But it is not something Korea and the US, Ri said that he lacks to go unnoticed that such a string of rational thinking and judgment in invoking senseless remarks come from the man international restrictions against the regime. heading the US negotiation team at a time when the DPRK-US dialogue is high on http://www.koreaherald.com/ the agenda. There is a proverb saying view.php?ud=20190823000510&ACE_SEARCH=1 “Sow the wind and reap the whirlwind”. Now that he made rhetoric about the N. Korea fires unidentified DPRK without elementary obligation as a projectiles into East Sea: JCS human being, losing his face as the diplomatic chief of a country, I cannot but Yonhap, Korea Herald, August 24, 2019 to it in kind.

North Korea fired two projectiles presumed Things that seemed to be fruitful at the to be short-range ballistic missiles into the beginning go wrong and end up in failure East Sea on Saturday, South Korea’s military whenever Pompeo meddles. Viewed in this said, ratcheting up tensions even after the light, he must be more concerned about end of a joint military exercise between the his “political ambition” for the future South and the United States. The projectiles rather than about the current foreign were fired at 6:45 a.m. and 7:02 a.m. from policy of the US. The US is sadly mistaken the eastern town of Sondok in South if it still tries to take on the DPRK with the Hamgyong Province into the East Sea, and help of sanctions, not dropping its both flew around 380 kilometers at a confrontational approach. Then we will maximum altitude of 97 km and a top speed remain the biggest “threat” to the US for of around Mach 6.5, according to the Joint long enough to make it realize for sure Chiefs of Staff. “Our military is monitoring what it has to do for denuclearization. the situation in case of additional launches and maintaining a readiness posture,” the http://www.pyongyangtimes.com.kp/?bbs=31141 JCS said in a release, adding the South Korean and the US intelligence authorities North Korea tests new ‘super- are analyzing their exact type. large’ rocket launcher http://www.koreaherald.com/ Hyung-jin Kim, AP News, August 25, 2019 view.php?ud=20190824000004&ACE_SEARCH=1 North Korea said Sunday that leader Kim Foreign minister rebukes US State Jong Un supervised the test-firing of a “newly developed super-large multiple Secretary Pompeo rocket launcher,” another demonstration The Pyongyang Times, August 24, 2019 of the North’s expanding weapons arsenal apparently aimed at increasing its leverage US State Secretary Pompeo told a press ahead of a possible resumption of nuclear conference on Wednesday that if north talks with the U.S. The North’s official Korea does not set out to denuclearize itself, Korean Central News Agency, or KCNA, the US will maintain the toughest sanctions said that Saturday’s weapons test was in history to make it confirm that successful and cited Kim as saying the denuclearization is the right way. As the rocket launcher is “indeed a great saying goes “A crow never becomes whiter weapon.” 44 Volume 11, Number 17 September 15, 2019

Kim underscored the need to “continue to North Korea says it won’t give up step up the development of Korean-style arms modernization strategic and tactical weapons for resolutely frustrating the ever-mounting military Edith M. Lederer, AP News, August 30, threats and pressure offensive of the hostile 2019 forces,” according to KCNA. The “hostile North Korea accused the United Kingdom, forces” likely referred to the United States France and Germany on Thursday of and South Korea, whose recently ended meddling in its “self-defensive measures regular military drills infuriated North for arms modernization,” saying the West Korea. The North has called the drills an will make “no greater mistake” than invasion rehearsal and conducted a slew of thinking Pyongyang will give up its right missile and rocket tests in response. to have weapons that it says are needed https://www.apnews.com/ to ensure peace. The North’s official aea805efb3f842c38680b523018263bb Korean Central News Agency circulated a statement from Kim Son Gyong, an North Korea’s propaganda outlet adviser at the Korea-Europe Association, in response to a joint statement Tuesday mentions Seoul’s GSOMIA from the three important U.S. allies termination for first time condemning Pyongyang’s “repeated Korea Times, August 27, 2019 provocative launches” of ballistic missiles. A North Korean propaganda outlet The Europeans accused North Korea of mentioned South Korea’s recent decision to violating U.N. sanctions and urged leader end a military information-sharing deal with Kim Jong Un to engage with the United Japan for the first time Tuesday, citing a States and make progress on South Korean media report that strongly denuclearization, which they said is “the supports the move. South Korea decided not only way to guarantee security and to extend the General Security of Military stability on the Korean peninsula and in Information Agreement (GSOMIA) last the region.” The North Korean statement week, citing a “grave change” in security said defending national security has cooperation conditions and Tokyo’s refusal become more important after seeing to accept Seoul’s dialogue proposals. Seoul countries “whose destinies were hacked and Tokyo signed GSOMIA in 2016, which to pieces by the Western powers” and was aimed at exchanging sensitive which yielded to Western demands “for intelligence in the face of growing nuclear disarmament under the pressure and and missile threats from North Korea. The appeasement of ‘international society.’” decision to terminate the pact was made The statement dismissed U.N. resolutions, amid an intensifying feud over wartime saying they “trample the rights to self- history and trade with Japan. defense and survival of the sovereign state, and accordingly, we have never North Korean media outlets have called for acknowledged them.” an end to GSOMIA, calling it a stepping stone for Japan toward reinvading the https://www.apnews.com/ Korean Peninsula, but they have not directly e4efed99f8504d7b8a3fa4b3c5779051 mentioned the latest decision to terminate the deal. Meari, one of North Korea’s North Korea says Pompeo’s propaganda outlets, mentioned the issue for remarks make talks with U.S. the first time, though indirectly, by carrying more difficult the entire editorial of a South Korean internet media company, Voice of People. Reuters, August 31, 2019

https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2019/ A recent remark by U.S. Secretary of State 09/103_274610.html Mike Pompeo about “North Korea’s rogue behavior” will make talks with the United States more difficult, the North’s KCNA 45 Nuclear, Missile & Space Digest

news agency on Saturday quoted its vice This year’s exercise, which replaced their foreign minister, Choe Son Hui, as saying. summertime Ulchi Freedom Guardian “We recognized that North Korea’s rogue exercise, involved computer simulations behavior could not be ignored,” Pompeo said without the actual mobilization of troops on Tuesday, while speaking at the American or military equipment, which is part of the Legion National Convention in the state of allies’ reorganization of major exercises Indiana. Pompeo’s comment was aimed at supporting peace efforts with unreasonable and provocative, Choe said, North Korea.But the training was based according to the news agency. “Pompeo has upon similar scenarios to previous ones gone so far in his language and it made the and was composed of two parts just as the opening of the expected DPRK-U.S. allies have done before: defending the working-level negotiations more difficult,” country against invasion by North Korea Choe said in statement.” and launching a counterattack in response. The focus of the exercise was to Choe also warned that North Korea’s verify whether Seoul is on course to meet expectations of talks with the United States the conditions required for its retaking of are gradually disappearing and the country operational control over its forces from is being pushed to reexamine all measures. Washington during wartime,” a defense ministry official said, adding that the https://www.reuters.com/article/us-northkorea- results of the initial operational capability pompeo/north-korea-says-pompeos-remarks-make- (IOC) test will be discussed later this year. talks-with-us-more-difficult-idUSKCN1VL02X http://www.koreaherald.com/ M. South Korea view.php?ud=20190820000638&ACE_SEARCH=1

South Korea’s military says North Biegun holds talks with S. Korean Korea launched projectiles twice counterpart over resumption of into sea nuke talks with NK AP News, August 16, 2019 Yonhap, Korea Herald, August 21, 2019 South Korea’s military says North Korea US Special Representative for North Korea launched projectiles twice into sea. Stephen Biegun held talks with his South https://www.apnews.com/ Korean counterpart in Seoul on 54ae47ec7e4843cdb10d53fd988c84c9 Wednesday to discuss joint efforts to resume and make progress in nuclear talks S. Korea, US wrap up summertime with North Korea. The US envoy met Lee Do-hoon at Seoul’s foreign ministry, combined exercise kicking off his official schedule for a series Yonhap, Korea Herald, August 20, 2019 of meetings with senior Seoul officials, including Unification Minister Kim Yeong- South Korea and the United States wrapped chul. He arrived here from Japan on up their week long combined military Tuesday for a three-day visit. exercises on Tuesday, raising hopes for a halt in a series of missile launches by North His trip came as the conclusion of a Korea and a possible resumption of nuclear combined South Korea-US military talks between Washington and Pyongyang. exercise raised the prospects for the The North has strongly bristled at the resumption of working-level nuclear Combined Command Post Training and negotiations between Washington and Crisis Management Staff Training, Pyongyang. The communist regime had ratcheting up tensions with six rounds of berated the exercise as a rehearsal for missile or projectile launches and bellicose invasion, shunning negotiations with the rhetoric over about three weeks. “We’ve United States, firing a fusillade of short- wrapped up the training as scheduled, and range projectiles into the East Sea and all the training sessions proceeded without sharpening its rhetoric against the South. a hitch,” a military officer said. Biegun and Lee were expected to 46 Volume 11, Number 17 September 15, 2019

coordinate the allies’ positions and strategies could continue with Japan if Tokyo agrees over how to make progress once negotiations to roll back measures to tighten with the North are relaunched. regulations on exports to South Korea. Speaking at the South Korean National http://www.koreaherald.com/ Assembly on Aug. 26, Lee said the General view.php?ud=20190821000079&ACE_SEARCH=1 Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) with Japan would Cheong Wa Dae says it never used become invalid on Nov. 23. Seoul Japan’s intel in analyzing NK informed Tokyo last week of its intention missiles under Moon to end the agreement. “If the inappropriate measures taken by Japan Yonhap, Korea Herald, August 24, 2019 are reverted back to their original status, I South Korea never used Japan’s intelligence believe it would be desirable for our in analyzing North Korea’s missile launches government to also reconsider the under the current Moon Jae-in GSOMIA with Japan,” Lee said. He said administration, a senior official at the the decision to end the GSOMIA with presidential office said Saturday, amid Japan was in reaction to Tokyo’s labeling concerns over possible limits in countering of South Korea as a nation that cannot be the North’s threats with the termination of trusted in the national security area. an intel-sharing deal between Seoul and Tokyo. The official made the remark after http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/ AJ201908270030.html North Korea fired two projectiles believed to be short-range ballistic missiles into the East Sea earlier in the day, marking the S. Korea seeks to increase defense seventh such launch since late July. “Not a budget 7.4% next year single piece of information Japan provided Yonhap, Korea Herald, August 29, 2019 regarding North Korea’s missiles was meaningful,” the official told Yonhap News South Korea is seeking a 7.4 percent Agency on the condition of anonymity. increase in its defense budget for next year, as it strives to strengthen self-defense The official’s remarks came amid rising capabilities amid growing security concerns over Seoul’s decision on Thursday uncertainties, the defense ministry said to pull out from the General Security of Thursday. The government has proposed Military Information Agreement in the face a budget of 50.15 trillion won ($41.29 of an escalating bilateral dispute over trade billion) for next year, up from this year’s and history. The termination of GSOMIA 46.7 trillion won. If approved, it will be marks the culmination of a spat that began the first time that the country’s defense with Japan’s decision to curb exports of budget surpasses the 50 trillion-won mark. sensitive materials to South Korea in early July. The dispute escalated with Japan’s Of the total, the ministry plans to spend delisting in August of South Korea from a 16.69 trillion won on arms purchases and list of trusted trading partners and Seoul’s other projects to boost defense capabilities, tit-for-tat action to remove Tokyo from its up 8.6 percent from this year, and to set own list. aside 33.46 trillion won for running military forces, marking an on-year http://www.koreaherald.com/ view.php?ud=20190824000062&ACE_SEARCH=1 growth of 6.8 percent. “In consideration of recent uncertainties in security circumstances of the date, the government S. Korea’s Lee: GSOMIA can stay if has increased investment in the Japan retracts trade measures strengthening of defense capabilities to Hajimu Takeda, The Ashai Shimbun, August allow our military proactively to respond 27, 2019 to security threats from all directions,” the ministry said in a release. North Korea has South Korean Prime Minister Lee Nak-yeon conducted a series of major weapons tests, said a military intelligence-sharing pact involving short-range ballistic missiles. 47 Nuclear, Missile & Space Digest

Last month, a Russian warplane intruded posture for North Korean provocations as into Korean airspace over its easternmost Pyongyang has ratcheted up tensions with islets of Dokdo twice, prompting the South projectile launches even after South Korea Korean Air Force to fire hundreds of and the United States ended joint warning shots. exercises. “North Korea has heightened military tensions by firing a series of short- http://www.koreaherald.com/ range projectiles and making verbal view.php?ud=20190829000209&ACE_SEARCH=1 attacks against the South,” he said during a speech at the first World Congress of South Korean leader says Japan Security Studies hosted by Korea National dishonest over wartime past Defense University held in Seoul. So far this year, the North conducted a total of Kim Tong-hyung, AP News, August 29, nine rounds of missile tests. 2019 South Korean President Moon Jae-in on “While maintaining a firm military Thursday berated Japan for carrying out its readiness and the combined defense plan to downgrade South Korea’s trade posture with the US, our military is status and reiterated that Tokyo was strongly backing the government’s weaponizing trade to retaliate over political diplomatic efforts” to resolve tensions with rows stemming from the countries’ wartime North Korea, he said. The defense chief history. Moon said in a Cabinet meeting that also called for the restoration of trust and Japan is being dishonest by insisting that its cooperative ties among countries, citing trade curbs weren’t retaliation over deepening feuds with Japan over its historical issues, including South Korean “unfair economic measures” against court rulings that called for Japanese South Korea and a Russian warplane’s companies to offer reparations to aging violation of the Korean airspace last South Korean plaintiffs for forced labor month. “South Korea strives to further during World War II. strengthen cooperation with all nations to establish the order of peace and prosperity He said Japan should look “squarely at the in East Asia ... and the denuclearization past” and that its current actions were of North Korea,” Jeong said, vowing to aggravating the pain and anger of South continue such efforts “prudently with Koreans who suffered under Japan’s brutal patience.” colonial rule of Korea from 1910 to 1945. “Japan has yet to even state an honest reason http://www.koreaherald.com/ for its economic retaliation .... No matter view.php?ud=20190826000589&ACE_SEARCH=1 what excuse it provides as justification, it is clear that the Japanese government has S. Korean nuke envoy to visit linked historical issues to economic Russia for denuclearization talks matters,” Moon said. Moon spoke hours Yonhap, Korea Herald, August 30, 2019 before the countries’ diplomats held working-level meetings in Seoul to discuss South Korea’s top nuclear envoy Lee Do- the trade row and security issues related to hoon will visit Russia next week for talks North Korea. on North Korea’s denuclearization, Seoul’s foreign ministry said Friday. The special https://www.apnews.com/ representative for Korean Peninsula peace acaf62092a554f10a9ad77e7645a7b98 and security affairs is set to leave for Vladivostok on Monday to meet Russian Defense chief vows staunch Vice Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov the readiness following day. They are expected to discuss the current situation on the Korean Yonhap, Korea Herald, August 26, 2019 Peninsula, including North Korea’s latest Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo vowed missile launches, and ways to facilitate Monday to maintain a staunch readiness stalled denuclearization negotiations 48 Volume 11, Number 17 September 15, 2019

between Washington and Pyongyang, it already realized small nuclear warheads said. that can be loaded onto missiles. The description was found in the draft of the Morgulov will be attending the Eastern 2019 version of the document. In the latest Economic Forum to be held in the city from version, the government also demoted Sept. 4-6. Denuclearization talks have made South Korea in the order of countries little headway since the second summit in Japan cooperates with in the field of Hanoi between US President Donald Trump security, as relations continue to and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un deteriorate owing to the issue of wartime ended without a deal. They failed to narrow laborers. differences over the scope of the North’s denuclearization and sanctions relief by The white paper is expected to be Washington. approved at a Cabinet meeting in mid- September. In the 2018 version, the http://www.koreaherald.com/ government wrote that “there is a view.php?ud=20190830000655&ACE_SEARCH=1 possibility that North Korea has realized” small, missile-mounted nuclear warheads. Moon invites Kim Jong-un at The wording was changed to “North summit in Busan Korea seems to have already realized ...” in the 2019 version. The change reflects a Kim Yoo-chul, Korea Times, August 30, 2019 growing sense of crisis over the nuclear President Moon Jae-in is sticking to his threat posed by the hermetic country. engagement-driven North Korea policy, Since July 25, North Korea has launched seeking to break the impasse in the projectiles, including short-range ballistic denuclearization talks via another direct missiles, six times. Regarding the launches, encounter with North Korean leader Kim the latest version reads, “They are serious Jong-un at the upcoming summit with and pressing threats.” leaders of Southeast Asian countries in Busan. In a special contribution to Bangkok http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/ Post, the President said he is expecting to AJ201908230036.html meet Kim at the ASEAN-South Korea Commemorative Summit to be held in the ‘Blind men’: End of South Korea- country’s largest port city of Busan. Japan pact undermines bid to understand North Korea threats “It would be a very meaningful occasion for peace on the Korean Peninsula and in East Hyonhee Shin, Tim Kelly, Reuters, August Asia, if Kim Jong-un is given the chance to 23, 2019 join the gathering. East Asian countries South Korea’s decision to scrap an would be able to discuss in detail with the intelligence-sharing pact with Japan could North about possible areas of cooperation harm efforts to understand threats from between them,” North Korea, and potentially weaken the https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2019/ ability to monitor its missile launches, 09/103_274832.html officials and analysts say. South Korea’s announcement on Thursday that it would N. Japan abandon the accord drew a swift protest from Tokyo and ratcheted up the Defense paper to stress reality of neighbours’ feud over history and trade. North Korean nuclear threat The agreement had been due for automatic renewal on Saturday. The Asahi Shimbun, August 23, 2019 https://in.reuters.com/article/southkorea-japan- The Japanese government plans to include labourers-intelligence/blind-men-end-of-south- for the first time in its annual white paper korea-japan-pact-undermines-bid-to-under- on defense that North Korea appears to have stand-north-korea-threats-idINKCN1VD20S 49 Nuclear, Missile & Space Digest

Abe heads to France for G-7 summit Japan faster to report N. Korean clouded by divisions missile launch than S. Korea Mainichi Japan, August 23, 2019 The Asahi Shimbun, August 25, 2019 Prime Minister Shinzo Abe embarked Friday A day after South Korea announced the on a five-day trip to France where he hopes scrapping of a military information to help his fellow leaders from the Group of sharing agreement with Japan, North Seven industrialized nations find common Korea launched two short-range ballistic ground amid divisions over trade, climate missiles on Aug. 24, as if testing their change and Iran. In the Atlantic coast city response. Japan reported the launches of Biarritz, Abe is seeking to play a part in quicker than South Korea. At 7:10 a.m. on preventing rifts within the G-7 from Aug. 24, the Japanese Defense Ministry widening amid a tense atmosphere due to announced, “It appears that ballistic clashes between the United States and other missiles were launched from North members. French President Emanuel Macron Korea.” The announcement came 26 has tabbed fighting inequality as a key theme minutes earlier than one made by the while his country holds the G-7 presidency South Korean military forces. this year. Since July 25, North Korea had launched https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20190823/p2g/ projectiles, including ballistic missiles, six 00m/0na/063000c times. In all those instances, the South Korean military forces had announced the UN chief urges Japan, S. Korea to launches earlier than Japan. The Japanese mend ties government dealt with the Aug. 24 launch differently from the previous six times after Mainichi Japan, August 24, 2019 South Korea notified Japan of U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres on withdrawing from the GSOMIA on Aug. Friday urged Japan and South Korea to 23. mend relations after Seoul scrapped a http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/ military intelligence-sharing pact with Tokyo AJ201908250036.html amid disputes over trade and wartime issues. Speaking to Japanese media organizations Japan affirms cooperation with in New York ahead of an overseas trip that includes Tokyo, the U.N. chief said, “I can France, Canada, Germany on N. only wish that they will be able to solve Korea whatever difficulties exist in their Mainichi Japan, August 25, 2019 relationship.” “These two countries are very important pillars of stability and apanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe agreed development in the region,” he said. Saturday with the leaders of Canada, France and Germany to cooperate in Guterres meanwhile expressed concern at efforts to contain the security threat posed the recent lapse of the Intermediate-Range by North Korea, hours after Pyongyang Nuclear Forces Treaty and U.S. testing of a again launched what appeared to be short- new type of missile, saying the trends of range ballistic missiles. G-7 on same page nuclear disarmament seen in the late 20th over Iran’s nuclear weapons amid fears of century are “being reversed.” disunity

https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20190824/p2g/ During their meeting in the French coastal 00m/0na/047000c city of Biarritz, Abe and French President Emmanuel Macron agreed that they will “work closely” to tackle several issues including the denuclearization of North Korea, a Japanese government official said. In respective talks with German 50 Volume 11, Number 17 September 15, 2019

Chancellor Angela Merkel and Canadian TEPCO offers to close reactors Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Abe and his after restarting Niigata plant counterparts affirmed that the international community should fully implement U.N. The Asahi Shimbun, August 26, 2019 resolutions aimed at thwarting North Tokyo Electric Power Co. indicated it Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile would decommission idle reactors at its ambitions. Abe held the three bilateral talks Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear plant here, before the Group of Seven summit began but that move may not be enough to win Saturday evening. local consent to restart other reactors at https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20190825/p2g/ the site. TEPCO officials, including 00m/0in/009000c President Tomoaki Kobayakawa, met with Kashiwazaki Mayor Masahiro Sakurai on Trump, Abe at odds on North Korea Aug. 26 and passed on their plans to decommission one or more reactors within missile launches five years after operations are resumed at Reuters, August 25, 2019 the No. 6 and No. 7 reactors. TEPCO has long planned to restart those two reactors U.S. President Donald Trump and Japanese at the seven-reactor plant. As a condition Prime Minister Shinzo Abe showed their for his consent to the restarts, Sakurai in differences over the seriousness of North June 2017 insisted that TEPCO compile a Korea’s series of short-range missile plan regarding the decommissioning of the launches on Sunday, while maintaining that other five reactors. Hearing of TEPCO’s they would remain in synch on the issue. latest plan, Sakurai said the proposal was Trump, who prizes his relationship with likely the maximum that could be expected North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, said the of the utility. launches did not violate an agreement and were in line with what others were doing. http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/ “He hasn’t been doing nuclear testing. He AJ201908260024.html has done short range, much more standard missiles. A lot of people are testing those Abe, Rouhani to meet late Sept. in missiles, not just him,” Trump said. Asked New York amid Gulf tension if he was concerned by the latest launches, Trump said: “I’m not happy about it, but Mainichi Japan, August 28, 2019 again, he’s not in violation of an agreement.” Prime Minister Shinzo Abe plans to meet Abe said the launches breached U.N. with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani resolutions. Asked if he wanted Trump to late next month in New York, the Foreign come closer to his position on the issue, Abe Ministry said Wednesday, as Japan seeks said: “I would like to make sure that we, to play a role in easing tensions in the meaning myself and President Trump, will Middle East between Iran and the United always stay on the same page when it comes States. Abe agreed with Iranian Foreign to North Korea.” Abe said he said he Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif during supported the U.S.-North Korea dialogue. a meeting in Yokohama to arrange the The launches have complicated attempts to summit on the margins of the U.N. General restart talks between U.S. and North Korean Assembly, the Japanese ministry said. negotiators over the future of Pyongyang’s At the outset of the meeting, Zarif said his nuclear weapons and ballistic missile country “is not hoping tensions rise programmes. further” in the Middle East due to the https://www.reuters.com/article/us-g7-summit- standoff between Washington and Tehran korea-north/trump-abe-at-odds-on-north-korea- over a 2015 nuclear deal. missile-launches-idUSKCN1VF0BU https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20190828/ p2g/00m/0na/055000c 51 Nuclear, Missile & Space Digest

Kono urges Iran to abide by nuclear Japan’s Tepco, Chubu, Hitachi, deal in talks with Zarif Toshiba to collaborate on nuclear The Asahi Shimbun, August 28, 2019 plants Foreign Minister Taro Kono said he urged Reuters, August 28, 2019 Iran to abide by a 2015 nuclear deal during Tokyo Electric Power, Chubu Electric a meeting on Tuesday with his Iranian Power, Hitachi and Toshiba have agreed counterpart, Mohammad Javad Zarif. The to consider cooperating on their nuclear men agreed to maintain close plant businesses, the companies said in a communication between Japan and Iran, statement on Wednesday. The companies which historically have had friendly ties, to have agreed to consider together building ease tension between the United States and a sustainable business that focuses on Iran, Kono told reporters afterward. “Based constructing and operating boiling water on Japan’s stance of consistently supporting reactors (BWRs) similar to the ones that the nuclear agreement, I asked the Iranian melted down at Tokyo Electric’s side to observe the agreement, to go back Fukushima plant north of Tokyo after an immediately to the commitments of the earthquake and tsunami in 2011. agreement, and to refrain from taking measures that would infringe on the Japan shut down its nuclear plants agreement,” Kono said. nationwide in the wake of the 2011 disaster. Neither Tokyo Electric or Chubu http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/ Electric have restarted any reactors since AJ201908280028.html then, while Hitachi and Toshiba have pulled out of reactor construction plans Japan begins to doubt G7’s influence overseas. While nine reactors in Japan in addressing East Asian issues have been given approval to operate, all of the units have been pressurized water Tomoyuki Tachikawa, August 27, 2019 reactors, a different design than BWRs. There are indications that Japan, the only Tokyo Electric said on Monday it may start Asian member of the Group of Seven to decommission at least one reactor at its nations, has begun to doubt the influence of Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant, the world’s the 44-year-old organization of mainly biggest nuclear station by capacity, within Western nations, as it has proved largely five years of restarting two of the newer ineffective in resolving issues surrounding reactors at the site. the East Asian region. With U.S. President https://in.reuters.com/article/japan-nuclear- Donald Trump and some European leaders alliance/-tepco-chubu-hitachi-toshiba-to- at odds over trade, security and climate collaborate-on-nuclear-plants-idINL3N25O26A matters, concerns in East Asia have received less attention at G7 meetings, Japanese officials have grumbled in private. While Iran’s Zarif urges Japan not to join Japan continues to cooperate with its G7 US coalition peers — which include Britain, Canada, Mainichi Japan, August 29, 2019 Germany, France, Italy, and the United States, plus the European Union — to tackle Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad threats from North Korea’s nuclear and Javad Zarif showed opposition to Japan’s ballistic missile programs, as well as the possible participation in a U.S. coalition negative impact of China’s economic scheme to patrol the Strait of Hormuz slowdown and its trade war with the United when he met Wednesday with Prime States, things recently have not gone as Minister Shinzo Abe in Yokohama near Tokyo had hoped. Tokyo, a diplomatic source said. By conveying Tehran’s opposition directly to https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2019/08/27/ the Japanese leader, Iran sent a strong national/politics-diplomacy/japan-doubts-emerge- message for Japan not to join the U.S.-led g7s-influence-east-asia/#.XWubgWgvO7g coalition amid intensifying tensions 52 Volume 11, Number 17 September 15, 2019

between Iran and the United States over the O. Taiwan 2015 nuclear deal. Han pledges to start mothballed While some countries such as and nuclear power plant Britain have announced they will take part in the coalition, Japan remains ambiguous Ann Maxon, Taipei Times, August 22, on the matter, caught between its alliance 2019 with the United States and traditionally Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu yesterday friendly ties with Iran. According to the said that, if elected president, he would source, Zarif told Abe that the stationing of activate the mothballed Fourth Nuclear foreign military forces in the region would Power Plant once its safety could be not enhance safety in the Strait of Hormuz ensured and if the public agrees. The and could instead put stability in the Middle Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) East at peril. presidential candidate made the remarks https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20190829/p2g/ during an interview with reporters after a 00m/0na/031000c luncheon with the American Chamber of Commerce in Taipei (AmCham Taipei) at Japan seeks record ¥5.32 trillion the Regent Hotel in Taipei. defense budget with new focus on http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/ space and cyberspace archives/2019/08/22/2003720928 Japan Times, August 30, 2019 Nuclear plan ‘unfeasible,’ Han The Defense Ministry on Friday requested a criticized record ¥5.32 trillion ($50 billion) budget for fiscal 2020 as it stressed the need to beef up Sean Lin, Jason Pan and Lin Hui-chin, the nation’s defense capabilities in domains Taipei Times, August 23, 2019 such as outer space and cyberspace. The sum marks a 1.2 percent rise from the initial The Cabinet’s spokeswoman said that the budget for the current fiscal year through government would ensure stable energy March 2020. If approved, the defense budget supply, while lawmakers said Han Kuo- will grow for the eighth year in a row under yu’s plan was deceptive. Democratic Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. The ministry Progressive Party legislators speak at a asked for ¥52.4 billion to strengthen its news conference at the Legislative Yuan capabilities in space amid the intensifying in Taipei yesterday in front of a poster that race among major powers such as the United reads: “How can a nuclear power States, Russia and China to develop salesman run for president?” technologies in the domain. Restarting work on the Fourth Nuclear A space operation unit will be newly formed Power Plant and deferring decommissioning inside the Air Self-Defense Force, including of the Guosheng plant in New Taipei City’s purchases of equipment to detect Wanli District and Ma-anshan plant in electromagnetic interference with Japanese Pingtung County’s Ma-anshan would satellites, as well as an optical telescope to pose technical difficulties, so plans to do monitor space debris and unidentified so are infeasible, Executive Yuan objects in outer space. The ministry is spokeswoman Kolas Yotaka said seeking ¥23.8 billion to expand staffing levels yesterday in response to a proposal by for the cyberdefense unit and take other Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu. The measures for cybersecurity. A budget of Ministry of Economic Affairs has said on ¥20.7 billion will be earmarked to develop a numerous occasions that Taiwan would “stand-off electronic warfare aircraft,” not face an energy shortage in the run-up which can hinder invading enemy forces by to 2030, Kolas told a news conference in jamming equipment. Taipei after a Cabinet meeting.

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2019/08/30/ http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/front/ national/japan-record-defense-budget-space- archives/2019/08/23/2003720967 cyberspace/#.XWua_2gvO7g 53 Nuclear, Missile & Space Digest

P. Misc backing out of the deal in retaliation for Washington’s withdrawal form the accord Canadian, Korean waste and renewal of sanctions that have hit organisations agree cooperation Iranian oil sales.

World Nuclear News, August 18, 2019 Iran has said it will breach the deal’s limits KORAD CEO Sung-soo Cha and CNL on its nuclear activities one by one, President and CEO Mark Lesinski signed a ratcheting up pressure on parties who still Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in hope to save it. Ottawa on 21 August. The signing of that U.S. President Donald Trump has offered agreement followed the signing of an MoU to hold talks with Iran on a broader deal by Cha and NWMO President and CEO but Tehran says first it must get relief from Laurie Swami on 19 August. U.S. sanctions. Under the agreements, KORAD will In July, the IAEA said Iran exceeded both cooperate with the Canadian organisations a 202.8-kg limit on its enriched uranium to share technology, experience and stock and its 3.67% cap on the fissile purity information on the decommissioning of to which it is allowed to refine uranium. nuclear reactors, the transport and interim In a verbal update on July 10, the IAEA storage of intermediate-level waste and used said Iran was enriching uranium to 4.5% fuel, and the final disposal of high-level purity and had stockpiled 213.5 kg of waste. enriched uranium. The Canadian and Korean nuclear https://www.reuters.com/article/us-iran- industries’ long-standing relationship dates nuclear-iaea/irans-enriched-uranium-stock- back more than 30 years, since the grows-well-past-deal-cap-iaea-report- construction of four Canadian-designed idUSKCN1VK1XH?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNew Candu pressurised heavy water reactors at s&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_ Wolsong. Canadian companies have campaign=Feed%3A+reuters%2FtopNews+% supported the ongoing maintenance of the 28News+%2F+US+%2F+Top+News%29 Wolsong units, including a major refurbishment of Wolsong 1 completed in Q. Op-Ed 2013. Korea itself is now a major nuclear energy country and is exporting its own India nuclear technology, with Korean designed reactors under construction in the United Chandrayaan 2: What are ISRO’s Arab Emirates. ‘15 terrifying minutes’ to Moon touchdown https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/ Canadian-Korean-waste-organisations-agree- Milind Kulshreshtha, Financial Express, coopera August 16, 2019 Chandrayaan 2 is gradually moving closer Iran goes further in breaching to the Moon for the penultimate orbital nuclear deal, IAEA report shows rendezvous with it and facilitate scheduled Francois Murphy, Reuters, August 30, 2019 07th Sep 19 landing of Vikram (Lander) on the Lunar surface. ISRO’s trans-Lunar Iran has gone further in breaching its nuclear injection of Chandrayaan 2 forms part of deal with world powers, increasing its stock a well-planned Transfer approach, of enriched uranium and refining it to a wherein the spacecraft’s low Earth circular greater purity than allowed, the U.N. atomic orbit is translated to a highly eccentric orbit agency report said on Friday. to make it elliptical. Using this ‘slingshot’ technique, once near Moon, Chandrayaan The quarterly report from the International 2 shall enter the Lunar sphere of influence Atomic Energy Agency, which is policing and spacecraft shall start orbiting the the 2015 deal, confirms Iran is progressively Moon by 20th Aug 19. 54 Volume 11, Number 17 September 15, 2019

Terrifying Minutes: Once Chandrayaan2 is it was when they saw those private jets in the designated Moon orbit, the Lander arrive that they first realised how far unit shall undock and separate from the ahead of Pakistan the Indian economy had Orbiter at a predetermined position. The gone. It was good to see, she added, that Lander itself weighs 1,471 Kg and has an it was not just Arab billionaires who were additional 27 Kg Pragyan rover in its belly. having all the fun. But, I knew from the Once Lander capsule is decoupled and is at way she said this that actually most a safe distance from the Orbiter, Lander’s Pakistanis were not happy about this. Descent Orbit Insertion stage fires in to reduce its speed and altitude so as to further As someone who knows Pakistan well, I undertake the Powered Descent initiation. learned long ago that nothing frightens Thus, the final 30km journey towards the Pakistanis more than the possibility that Lunar surface shall be covered using a India could succeed and Pakistan fail. It sequence of powered manoeuvre in about may seem from Imran Khan’s recent 15 minutes. Here, the Lander’s onboard rantings about the ‘fascist, Hindu rocket thrust mechanism is used in a highly Supremacist Modi government’ that it is controlled manner and thruster operations Kashmir that Pakistanis care about more is a complex combination of Navigation, than anything. This is not true. Kashmir Guidance, Controls, Propulsion, Sensors and is not the ‘core problem’ between India and various other operational constraints. It Pakistan as military men and jihadists next works on various feedback mechanisms door like to say. The core problem is that received for Roll, Pitch, Yaw, Altitude, Speed if India becomes a mighty economic etc. Through Simulation technique, ISRO superpower and Pakistan remains a has already arrived at the most suitable bankrupt nuclear power, then the whole Lunar surface approach trajectory for the exercise of breaking India to make a nation Lander unit for various scenarios. To assist for the ‘pure’ could become meaningless. in the descent, Radio signal Doppler https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/ measurements based on a highly accurate columns/what-scares-pakistan-most-india- atomic clock and received from radio development-nuclear-weapons-economy- telescopes of the Indian Deep Space kashmir-terrorism-5913507/ Network shall display the accurate speed and distance parameters of the Lander. As Chandrayaan-2 Enters Moon https://www.financialexpress.com/lifestyle/science/ Orbit, Musk’s Tesla Roadster chandryaan-2-what-are-isros-15-terrifying- Completed A Full Orbit Around minutes-to-moon-touchdown/1677408/ The Sun Nothing scares Pakistanis more Sarthak Dogra, Urban Mobility, August than the possibility that India could 20, 2019 succeed and Pakistan fail Indian Space Research Organisation is in the midst of one of its most crucial missions Tavleen Singh, Indian Express, August 18, to date. It announced that the 2019 Chandrayaan 2 recently entered the lunar Some years ago when relations with orbit and is successfully on its way to land Pakistan were in a good season, the Indian the rover on the moon’s surface in cricket team went on tour to the Islamic September. Simultaneously, there is Republic. When they played in Lahore, another interesting space phenomenon many Indian cricket fans crossed the border that took place this week but this one was to lend the team support. The Indian around the sun. economy in those days was bursting with animal spirits. So among these fans were For those unaware, tech billionaire Elon Indian industrialists who descended in Musk had pulled off what can easily be private jets. A Pakistani friend said later that called as one of the coolest stunts on Earth last year. The SpaceX founder had to test 55 Nuclear, Missile & Space Digest

launch the company’s Falcon for all times to come, but I think even that Heavy rocket in February last year and for would possibly be an exaggerated reading that, a dummy load was needed. of the statement. I think Rajnath Singh’s statement is somewhat different from https://www.indiatimes.com/auto/current/as- former Union Minister Manohar chandrayaan-2-entered-moon-s-orbit-musk-s- Parrikar’s statement. He had said at a book tesla-roadster-just-completed-a-full-orbit-around- launch that he doesn’t understand why the-sun-373920.html we have to wait until we hit back. That was a lot more problematic even though There’s much more than national it was clarified subsequently that his prestige driving India’s ambitious statement was his personal view rather moon mission than the government’s policy. I don’t see Mr. Singh’s statement as signifying a Nicholas Borroz, Quartz India, August 22, change in the doctrine. And obviously if 2019 we did change the NFU policy, that would India’s Chandrayaan-2 spacecraft has not be particularly useful. settled into lunar orbit, ahead of its scheduled Moon landing on Sept. 7. If it https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/ should-india-tinker-with-its-no-first-use-policy/ succeeds India will join a very select club, article29224507.ece now comprising the former Soviet Union, the US and China. How Delhi and Paris became As with all previous Moon missions, friends | Opinion national prestige is a big part of India’s Moon shot. But there are some colder Rakesh Sood, Hindustan Times, August 27, calculations behind it as well. Space is 2019 poised to become a much bigger business, India and France launched their “strategic and both companies and countries are partnership” in 1998. Last week, as Prime investing in the technological capability to Minister Narendra Modi concluded his ensure they reap the earthly rewards. bilateral visit to France, both he and his host President Emmanuel Macron could https://qz.com/india/1692955/isros-chandrayaan- look back at the achievements of the last 2-moon-mission-promises-big-business-for-india/ 21 years with satisfaction. Yet, as the two leaders must have discovered during their Should India tinker with its ‘No discussions at Chateau de Chantilly, this First Use’ policy? partnership has far more potential, Dinakar Peri, The Hindu, August 23, 2019 especially in today’s uncertain times. Rajesh Rajagopalan: I am not sure if it is The two countries had traditionally really a revision of India’s NFU policy enjoyed good relations. Since the 1960s, because all he said was that in future the French aircraft and helicopters have been policy might change. That has always been part of the Indian air fleet — Ouragan, the case. The doctrine is only valid for as Mystere, Alize, Alouette, Jaguar (it is long as the government says it is valid. It Anglo-French), Mirage, and now Rafale. would be foolish to suggest that doctrines When the United States reneged on its cannot change or that they will hold for all agreement to supply nuclear fuel for times and under all circumstances. All he Tarapur, citing domestic legal constraints was suggesting was that we cannot in 1984, it was France that took on the guarantee that the doctrine will hold for all role. times. https://www.hindustantimes.com/analysis/how- This is possibly a signal to Pakistan that it delhi-and-paris-became-best-friends/story- should not take India’s restraint for granted qkfML1QMvFzit1fOBR0JeP.html 56 Volume 11, Number 17 September 15, 2019

Pakistan’s ballistic missile arsenal race 2.0. This brings back the question and why India is safe from all of about what was the space race all about them and how did it start in the first place? It was a distinct and unique phenomenon News Nation, August 28, 2019 within the phenomenon of the Cold War.

In one of the biggest announcements on What made it unique and distinct was the Jammu and Kashmir post India’s time during which it happened. Never Independence in 1947, the central before in the history were there two government-led by Prime Minister Narendra superpowers that were almost equally Modi recently bifurcated Jammu, Kashmir capable of destroying each other and set and Ladakh. Along with the bifurcation, up their hegemony globally. Secondly, the Article 370 – which grants special status to global balance of power was seen for the Jammu and Kashmir – was removed. Also, first time. Although great powers always the Article 35A of the Indian Constitution, used to exist, but there were no which empowers Jammu and Kashmir superpowers. There are many takeaways state’s legislature to define “permanent and lessons that can be derived from the residents” of the state and provide special space race. rights and privileges to those permanent residents, was scrapped. The move was https://www.financialexpress.com/opinion/ appreciated across the country. decoding-the-cold-war-space-race/1689333/

The change in status of Jammu and Kashmir Is India “creatively means that a better-coordinated security force would be on the LoC keeping a tighter reinterpreting” its no-first-use vigil on Pakistan’s activities in Pakistan- policy? occupied Kashmir including Gilgit-Baltistan. John Krzyzaniak, Bulletin of the Atomic Due to the move, Pakistan was irked and Scientists, August 30, 2019 approached to the United Nations. On the other hand, India received support on the Donald Trump isn’t the only one who can international forum and countries like US change long-standing policy by tweet. On and Russia over its move on Jammu and August 16, the Indian defense minister Kashmir. In the meantime, Pakistan PM Rajnath Singh took to Twitter during a visit Imran khan often tries to threaten New to Pokhran, the site of India’s 1998 nuclear Delhi with nuclear arms, something which tests. He wrote that, up until now, India has been done by other heads of the has strictly adhered to the doctrine of no neighbouring country. The tension between nuclear first use, but stipulated that “what India and Pakistan is currently at its peak. happens in the future depends on the Here’s the list of missiles of Pakistan that can circumstances.” (To be fair, Singh be used against India. Also, here’s the reason delivered his statement orally before why India has the edge against Pakistan. tweeting it.)

https://www.newsnation.in/world/news/pakistans- Singh’s statement caused a stir among ballistic-missile-arsenal-and-why-india-is-safe- South Asia pundits and arms control from-all-of-them-235700.html experts, but to the uninitiated, it might have been difficult to understand what all Decoding the Cold War space race the hoopla was about. After all, what’s a one-off statement by a defense minister? Martand Jha, Financial Express, August 29, Isn’t India’s official doctrine still 2019 unchanged? And shouldn’t we really Last month, when India sent the concern ourselves with deeds, not just Chandrayaan 2 to the moon’s South Pole, words? many space experts pointed towards the https://thebulletin.org/2019/08/is-india- beginning of a new space race, or the space creatively-reinterpreting-its-no-first-use-policy/ 57 Nuclear, Missile & Space Digest

The false assertions made by Imran see the competition as a classic power Khan about India in his NYT tussle between an established power and propaganda column masquerading a rising power. But some see it as a competition between two competing as opinion article ideologies or systems. DNA, August 31, 2019 http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/201908/19/ Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan penned WS5d59dfe9a310cf3e35566674.html an opinion article for The New York Times which was published on Friday, wherein he China will think long and hard made false assertions against India while before sending in the PLA – it trying to rake up the nuclear bogey. “After needs the Hong Kong ‘experiment’ I was elected prime minister of Pakistan last August, one of my foremost priorities was to work, and it wants Taiwan back to work for a lasting and just peace in South David Dodwell, South China Morning Asia. India and Pakistan, despite our Post, August 19, 2019 difficult history, confront similar challenges of poverty, unemployment and climate There is still time for the violent protests change, especially the threat of melting to be reined in. Hong Kong remains an glaciers and scarcity of water for hundreds indispensable connector between of millions of our citizens,” Khan wrote. mainland companies and the world, and the city stands as proof of China’s If this were so, Pakistan would not have commitment to the market-driven global been progressively reducing allocations for economy. There has been much hand- the water sector in its budgets, even under wringing in Hong Kong in recent days over Imran Khan. “I wanted to normalise the danger that impatient hardliners in relations with India through trade and by Beijing will detonate the nuclear option, settling the Kashmir dispute, the foremost either unleashing the People’s Liberation impediment to the normalization of relations Army garrison on pro-democracy between us,” he added. protesters or trundling in thousands of People’s Armed Police, who have been https://www.dnaindia.com/india/photo-gallery- amassing in a sports stadium in Shenzhen. the-false-assertions-made-by-imran-khan-about- Commentators have agreed that as india-in-his-nyt-propaganda-column-masquerad- demonstrations have become more violent ing-as-opinion-editorial-2786369 and as local police efforts to quell the violence have proved ineffective, so the China danger of mainland intervention has risen.

Op-ed: Competition shouldn’t be a They have also agreed that the apparent zero-sum game cluelessness of the Hong Kong administration over how to calm the mood Du Lan, China Daily, August 19, 2019 has raised the likelihood that mainland With the United States labeling China its leaders will take charge. But in the full foremost, primary and long-term strategic knowledge that many will call me naive, I “rival”, and adopting a policy to contain think we are many steps short of anyone China, China sees the US as the biggest on the mainland pressing those “nuclear external challenge on road to national buttons”. The danger cannot absolutely be rejuvenation. As such, Sino-US relations ruled out, but it is a much more distant have entered an era of strategic competition. danger than many are now breathlessly discussing. The US-triggered trade war reflects only one aspect of the intensified competition https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/ between China and the US, especially in the article/3023283/china-will-think-long-and- fields of science and technology, military hard-sending-pla-it-needs-hong-kong and international relations. Most observers 58 Volume 11, Number 17 September 15, 2019

Shared vision binds Iran-China rather than listen, and he has hitherto paid relations little heed to complaints that the trade war he has launched against China is Mohammad Javad Zarif, Global Times, aggravating the woes of other countries.

As foreign minister of the Islamic Republic The European economy faces dim of Iran, I have had the honor of both prospects, with Germany already on the travelling to China and hosting my Chinese brink of a recession after its economy counterparts in Tehran on several occasions. declined in the second quarter, and a On such occasions, it has never been lost on possible no-deal Brexit set to bring even me that I am participating in a millennia’s more chaos. The trade war between China old ritual between two great civilizations. and the United States has only worsened The relationship between Iran and China the situation. stretches back 2,000 years when explorers and merchants made contact along the Silk http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/cndy/2019-08/ Road. There, the people of our two countries 27/content_37505715.htm first learned to appreciate the greatness of each other’s civilizations. These early Pakistan contacts set the stage for thousands of years of a special connection between two of the India makes veiled threat of greatest, most advanced and most enduring nuclear war civilizations in the world. Zeeshan Ahmad, The Express Tribune, Today, China has become an indispensable August 16, 2019 economic partner of Iran and the two Amid mounting pressure on India over its countries are strategic partners on many illegal move in Occupied Kashmir, Prime fronts. But in order to overcome the Minister Narendra Modi’s defence emerging challenges which have impeded minister has made a veiled threat of a the ability of many nations to achieve nuclear war in the region. sustainable development, it is imperative for both China and Iran to strengthen their ties Though Rajnath Singh didn’t name any more than the past. China and Iran face country, it is understood the threat was challenges and strive to achieve goals in directed at Pakistan. It shows Modi’s terms of sustainable development, the growing frustration at his ill-conceived protection of the environment, the move to strip Occupied Kashmir of its eradication of poverty and suppression of autonomy on August 5. extremism and terrorism that threaten the world every day. We believe that common “Pokhran is the area which witnessed Atal problems need common solutions thus Ji’s firm resolve to make India a nuclear requiring greater cooperation, coordination power and yet remain firmly committed and close communication. to the doctrine of ‘No First Use’. India has strictly adhered to this doctrine. What http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/1162671.shtml happens in future depends on the circumstances,” Singh wrote on his Message delivered; was it received? verified Twitter handle. China Daily, August 27, 2019 https://tribune.com.pk/story/2035426/1-india- makes-veiled-threat-nuclear-war/ The US leader has not been very happy to be seen as an outlier among the other leaders Pakistan Has Lots of Nuclear attending the G7 summit in Biarritz, France, mainly because of his different stance on Weapons: Should the World issues such as the Iran nuclear deal and Worry? climate change, which have made it Kyle Mizokami, National Interest Blog, impossible for the world’s major August 18, 2019 industrialized countries to unite around common goals. But then he prefers to talk Pakistan currently has a nuclear “triad” 59 Nuclear, Missile & Space Digest

of nuclear delivery systems based on land, India’s nuclear threats in the air and at sea. Islamabad is believed to have modified American-built F-16A Amjed Jaaved, Pakistan Today, August 25, fighters and possibly French-made Mirage 2019 fighters to deliver nuclear bombs by 1995. Shifting nuclear policy Since the fighters would have to penetrate India’s air defense network to deliver their India’s Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s payloads against cities and other targets, statement reflects a paradigm shift in Pakistani aircraft would likely be deliver India’s nuclear policy. It appears India has tactical nuclear weapons against battlefield already perfected its delivery systems, and targets. radar jamming capability. It launched Mars and Moon missions with dual Sandwiched between Iran, China, India and objectives. The Indian air force chief claims Afghanistan, Pakistan lives in a complicated ‘IAF can locate, fix targets, including neighborhood with a variety of security nuclear weapons, in Pakistan’. The issues. One of the nine known states known Washington Post reported in 2013 that the to have nuclear weapons, Pakistan’s nuclear police in occupied Kashmir published a arsenal and doctrine are continually notice in the Greater Kashmir (now under evolving to match perceived threats. A black out), advising people about nuclear- nuclear power for decades, Pakistan is now war survival tips. The tips included attempting to construct a nuclear triad of constructing well-stocked bunkers in its own, making its nuclear arsenal resilient basements or front yards, and having a and capable of devastating retaliatory stock of food and batteries or candles to strikes. last at least two weeks. Indian Army independent surgical fighting units carried https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/pakistan-has- out ‘war games’ in May 2019, as lots-nuclear-weapons-should-world-worry-74516 announced by army chief Bipin Rawat. he units are self-contained, and backed with Scholars point to change in India’s air force and navy support. Earlier, India nuclear policy claimed to have carried out surgical strikes earlier on September 29, 2016. The strikes Anwar Iqbal, Dawn, August 19, 2019 are celebrated as a national event.

“From ‘No First Use’ to ‘No, First Use?” https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2019/08/25/ asked Franz-Stefan Gady of the EastWest -nuclear-threats/ Institute, New York, while summing up an article on the latest change in India’s nuclear Kashmir dispute seen as fuelling policy. threat of N-conflict The Independent, a British online Anwar Iqbal, Dawn, August 25, 2019 newspaper, noted that India “issued a veiled threat to Pakistan” when its defence The specter of nuclear war haunts tensions minister said on Friday that his country’s between India and Pakistan, and the commitment to “no first use” of nuclear disputed territory of Kashmir could weapons would now “depend on the provide the spark that lights South Asia’s circumstances”. nuclear fuse,” warns a report published by a US think-tank on Saturday. On Aug 16, Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh visited the Indian nuclear The report — by Stratfor, a geopolitical test-site Pokhran, where he declared that intelligence platform based in Austin, while India has so far adhered to the policy Texas — also disputes the classification of of “no first use, what happens in future the Kashmir issue as India’s “internal depends on the circumstances”. affair” or a “bilateral” issue between India and Pakistan. https://www.dawn.com/news/1500352/scholars- point-to-change-in-indias-nuclear-policy “It isn’t. A potential nuclear conflagration cannot be anything other than a matter of 60 Volume 11, Number 17 September 15, 2019

international peace and security,” the report priorities was to work for lasting and just warns. According to the report, the peace in South Asia. India and Pakistan, possibility of “the conflict going nuclear may despite our difficult history, confront have increased on Aug 16”, when Indian similar challenges of poverty, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh seemed to unemployment and climate change, abandon India’s “no first use” doctrine. Mr especially the threat of melting glaciers Singh tweeted that “India has strictly and scarcity of water for hundreds of adhered to this doctrine. What happens in millions of our citizens. the future depends on the circumstances”. And “the circumstances are not hopeful”, If the world does nothing to stop the the report adds. Indian assault on Kashmir and its people, there will be consequences for the whole https://www.dawn.com/news/1501504 world as two nuclear-armed states get ever closer to a direct military confrontation. Why Pakistan Army will never want India’s defense minister has issued a not- a nuclear war with India so-veiled nuclear threat to Pakistan by saying that the future of India’s “no first Saurabh Sharma, Financial Express, August use” policy on nuclear weapons will 28, 2019 “depend on circumstances.” Similar Pakistan has run out of options on Kashmir. statements have been made by Indian So, it is back to what it does best — raise the leaders periodically. Pakistan has long nuclear attack bogey, which no country in viewed India’s “no first use” claims with the world has ever taken seriously and rightly skepticism. so. In a desperate attempt to get some https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/30/opinion/ attention from world powers, Pakistan imran-khan-kashmir-pakistan.html Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday urged the global community to intervene India and Pakistan: Let’s not be before it gets too late on Kashmir. As usual, he repeated the same script that both casual about nuclear war countries — India and Pakistan — have Shakir Husain, Daily Sabah, August 30, nuclear weapons and if war breaks out 2019 between them over Kashmir, the consequences will transcend their If nuclear weapons are a matter of boundaries and the world will also feel the national prestige and power, what can go heat. wrong when flaunting them? China, India, North Korea and Pakistan possess “Both countries have nuclear weapons. In these arms in Asia, but no nuclear war a nuclear war, no one wins. It will not only involving any of these countries would wreak havoc in this region, but the entire remain confined to their limited region: world will face consequences. It is now up The holocaust is going to be truly global. to the international community,” he said in an address to nation on Kashmir. Most possessors of nuclear bombs as well as experts on the subject make the point https://www.financialexpress.com/india-news/ that these instruments, due to their imran-khans-nuclear-threat-is-hollow-posturing- deterrence value, may prevent a major and-should-be-ignored-expert/1687864/ escalation in nonnuclear warfare.

Imran Khan: The World Can’t Ignore https://www.dailysabah.com/op-ed/2019/08/30/ Kashmir. We Are All in Danger. india-and-pakistan-lets-not-be-casual-about- nuclear-war Imran Khan, New York Times, August 30, 2019 After I was elected prime minister of Pakistan last August, one of my foremost 61 Nuclear, Missile & Space Digest

USA “would cover the entire planet for years, blocking the Sun. The nuclear arms race is back … and ever more dangerous now https://www.foxnews.com/science/nuclear- winter-nuclear-war-between-us-russia Simon Tisdall, Guardian, August 17, 2019 I magine the uproar if the entire populations If US, Russia clash, world to of York, Portsmouth or Swindon were plunge into nuclear winter suddenly exposed to three times the The News International, August 22, 2019 permissible level of penetrating gamma radiation, or what the nuclear physicist A new study has confirmed that the world Ernest Rutherford termed gamma rays. The will be plunged into a nuclear winter outpouring of rage and fear would be heard following a nuclear war between the across the world. United States and Russia.

That’s what happened to the roughly According to the study, the war between 200,000 people who live in the similarly sized these two superpowers would trigger a northern Russian city of Severodvinsk on 8 global environmental event that can last August, after an explosion at a nearby top- for several years. The new study was secret missile testing range. Russia’s weather conducted by a team of researchers from service, Rosgidromet, recorded radiation the University of Colorado, Rutgers levels up to 16 times higher than the usual University and the National Center for ambient rate. Atmospheric Research. It was published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/aug/17/ Atmospheres. nuclear-arms-race-is-back-and-more-dangerous- than-before Another study has revealed that South Asia will be plunged into an even longer ‘Nuclear winter’ coming? Nuclear nuclear winter of decades and thousand war between US and Russia would years old civilization thriving in India will cause catastrophic event, study be eliminated from the face of earth if confirms Pakistan and India had nuclear clash. The nuclear arsenal Pakistan has would be Chris Ciaccia, Fox News, August 20, 2019 sufficient for wiping out India three times while India’s capability is less than that. Earlier this month, the U.S. pulled out of a Reagan-era nuclear treaty with Russia after https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/515807-if- the Trump administration assessed the us-russia-clash-world-to-plunge-into-nuclear- country was in “material breach of the winter treaty” and made no effort to “come back into compliance.” How Congress Can Prevent a Meltdown of Global Nuclear Arms If there were any kind of escalation between the two countries that would result in a Control nuclear war, it would almost certainly end Tom Countryman and Laura Kennedy, in a nuclear winter, according to a new National Interest Blog, August 24, 2019 study. The Trump administration’s nuclear The research confirms with a 2007 climate weapons policy has eroded decades of model that if the two superpowers were to agreed-upon norms. An important arms engage in a nuclear war, dropping a “large control agreement with Russia was number of nuclear bombs” that were already shredded, and another is on the detonated in “large urban areas,” the planet brink of being abandoned. Instead of would cool substantially due to the smoke adhering to its commitments under the generated by the atomic blast. This fallout Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), 62 Volume 11, Number 17 September 15, 2019

which calls for good-faith steps towards the Russia Is Developing Some Scary ultimate goal of nuclear disarmament, the Nuclear Weapons. It Has To Give Trump administration’s Nuclear Posture Them Up To Save New START. Review (NPR) released last year called for, among other things, new “low-yield” Mark Episkopos, National Interest blog, nuclear weapons that are considered likely August 27, 2019 to lower the nuclear threshold. Fortunately, With the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Congress now has an opportunity to push Forces (INF) Treaty now officially dead, back on these damaging departures from the fate of the New START treaty—and long-standing policies that have so far with it, much of the world’s remaining prevented nuclear annihilation. nuclear arms control architecture— House and Senate negotiators will soon meet continues to hang in the balance. Earlier to begin reconciling major differences in their this week, the Pentagon revealed what it versions of the Fiscal Year 2020 National would take to save New START— and the Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Kremlin isn’t going to like it. Among the many issues that must be In a recent interview given to Fox News, addressed, that of nuclear weapons is poised US Defense Secretary Mark Esper to be one of the most controversial. conditioned the potential extension of New https://nationalinterest.org/feature/how-congress- START, set to expire in February 2021, on can-prevent-meltdown-global-nuclear-arms- the inclusion of Russia’s latest nuclear- control-76046 capable weapons and hypersonic delivery systems: “If there is going to be an Nuclear Power Must Not Lead to extension of the New START, then we Nuclear Bombs need to make sure that we include all these new weapons that Russia is Victor Gilinsky and Henry Sokolski, National pursuing… “Right now, Russia has Interest Blog, August 25, 2019 possibly nuclear-tipped cruise missiles, INF-range (range stipulated by the Earlier this month, it was reported that Intermediate-Range Nuclear Weapons Trump White House wants a new deal with Treaty) cruise missiles facing toward Iran that would eliminate its uranium Europe.” enrichment. Out of its highly developed suspicion of Iran’s intentions, the White https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/russia- House has stumbled on a principle that needs developing-some-scary-nuclear-weapons-it-has- near-universal application if nuclear energy give-them-save-new-start-76411 use is to be compatible with international security. Russia The reason why is simple: Despite the brave Russia’s Plans to Counter U.S. talk from the International Atomic Energy Missile Defense Will Destroy the Agency (IAEA) about its technical World—From Underwater capabilities to safeguard nuclear power facilities, the fact is, if plutonium or highly- Sebastien Roblin, National Interest Blog, enriched uranium are available to would- August 31, 2019 be bombmakers, they can be put to bomb use so quickly that other countries would The Borei represents only half of the be confronted with a fait accompli. We need Russian Navy’s future sea-based nuclear to confront that basic fact world-wide. deterrence force. The other half will come from a unique fleet of four Khaborovsk- https://nationalinterest.org/feature/nuclear-power- class submarines each carrying six nuclear- must-not-lead-nuclear-bombs-75901 powered Poseidon drone-torpedoes designed to swim across oceanic distances to blast coastal cities and naval bases with megaton-yield warheads. Moscow, it 63 Nuclear, Missile & Space Digest

seems, would like a little more redundancy has greatly increased. Once the US in its ability to end civilization as we know deploys medium-range missiles in other it in the event of a nuclear conflict. countries and regions, it will inevitably lead other countries to produce and deploy The Borei’s OKF-650B 190-megawatt reactor medium-range missiles, thus triggering a powers a pump-jet propulsion system that new round of world arms race. allows it to remain unusually quiet while cruising near its maximum underwater http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/ speed of thirty knots. This probably makes 1163107.shtml the Borei quieter, and able to remain discrete at higher speeds, than the propeller-driven West Asia Ohio-class submarine. Russian media claims its acoustic signature is one-fifth that of the Iran Typhoon and Delta-IV class SSBN and that the Borei was also uniquely suited to perform Why Trump Fails at Making Deals nuclear deterrence patrols in the southern Michael Hirsh, Foreign Policy, August 21, hemisphere, though Russian SSBNs have 2019 historically remained close to friendly waters for protection. His fumbles with China, Iran, North Korea, India, and now Denmark are https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/russias- evidence of what the people who know plans-counter-us-missile-defense-will-destroy- him best have long said: The U.S. president world%E2%80%94-underwater-76731 is actually a poor negotiator. US missiles plan could spark arms It is at the very core of his appeal. Since race Donald Trump’s improbable run to the White House began in 2015, the real estate Li Daguang, Global Times August 29, 2019 magnate has managed to win over U.S. The US tested a conventionally configured voters—even many who allow they don’t ground-launched cruise missile on August like him personally—by arguing that he’s 19 shortly after it formally withdrew from a master negotiator who will swing a lot the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces of new deals for the American people. (INF) Treaty, making it quite clear that these But as the third anniversary of the are all long-planned moves. The world is president’s election approaches, evidence facing unprecedented changes, and many is mounting that Trump has mastered very practices of the unilateralism, protectionism little internationally. On the contrary, his and bullying of the US have violated various high-profile efforts at restarting international law. Under such negotiations with China, Iran, North circumstances, US plans to develop the once Korea and other nations have—at least restricted, conventionally configured since the signing of his much-mocked ground-launched medium-range missiles makeover of NAFTA in 2018—all run will undoubtedly open a Pandora’s Box. aground. And this week Trump proved First, the demise of the INF Treaty will result himself a dubious dealmaker yet again. He in a new arms race. US preposterous called off his visit to a close U.S. ally, withdrawal from the INF Treaty destroyed Denmark—a country with a prime an important basic arms control agreement minister who’s also a natural political ally, and further complicated the international because she’s as anti-immigrant as he is— situation, which will inevitably weaken the ostensibly because the Danes refused to global security architecture. consider selling him Greenland (which, technically, may not be Denmark’s to sell In response to the US withdrawal from the anyway, since it is a semi-autonomous INF Treaty and test-firing of missiles, Russia territory with its own prime minister). has declared it will take retaliatory steps. With the US test-firing medium-range //foreignpolicy.com/2019/08/21/why-trump- missiles, the risk of a new global arms race cant-make-deals-international-negotiations/ 64 Volume 11, Number 17 September 15, 2019

Trump’s Spat With Denmark Could As to Iranian foreign policy since the Cost Him Against Iran abrogation of the nuclear deal and re- imposition of American sanctions, it is Lara Seligman, Foreign Policy, August 23, noticeable that Tehran’s support for Shiite 2019 militias has slackened. This includes The Danes may have been considering support for the Lebanese Hezbollah, Iraqi joining the United States’ maritime security groups and Iranian-backed forces. force—until the U.S. president exploded Nevertheless, it continues to support over Greenland. Jim Townsend’s decades Bashar Assad and has helped him regain of work on European policy in the Pentagon Syrian territory since 2013. and at NATO, he never saw the Danes say However, since April 2019, Iranian-backed no to a fight. From the first Gulf War to forces have refrained from participating counter-Islamic State operations, Denmark in attacks against Idlib. This is despite the was always one of the first allies to raise its violent bombardment by Syria’s other ally, hand when the United States asked for Russia. For this reason, the Syrian military support. “There was never, ‘Oh, we government, represented by the Syrian have to think about it.’ It was always, ‘What Army, has failed to achieve decisive do you need?’” Townsend said. progress in recapturing Idlib. https://foreignpolicy.com/2019/08/23/greenland- http://saudigazette.com.sa/article/575321/ trump-spat-with-denmark-could-cost-him- Opinion/Local-Viewpoint/The-impact-of-US- against-iran-security-ally/ sanctions-on-Iran

The impact of US sanctions on Iran East Asia May Khaled, Saudi Gazette, August 24, 2019 North Korea Nearly 14 months ago, US President Donald Trump re-imposed US sanctions on Iran. Nonsense of lunatics One of the goals of these sanctions was to Min Chol, The Pyongyang Times, August reduce Iranian influence in the Middle East 18, 2019 region by curtailing Tehran’s financial resources. South Korean conservatives are making much ado about the necessity to nullify the The question now is: Has there been any north-south agreement in the military field tangible impact on Iran as a result of these as they describe the DPRK’s measures for sanctions? self-defensive military buildup as “dangerous provocation” and “violation As far as nuclear activity is concerned, Iran of resolutions”. The conservative has resumed its military nuclear program politicians of the Liberal Korea Party and and violated the maximum limit stipulated the Bareunmirae Party come up with self- in the nuclear deal for the first time in July nuclear armament, not content with 2019 when its enriched uranium reached 4.5 demanding an “active examination” for percent. This is a clear indication that Iran “NATO-style joint ownership of nukes” is a renegade state that did not deserve the and negotiations with the US for the confidence the Obama Administration “redeployment of tactical nukes”. placed in it. In particular, the LKP clan is making a Tension has also escalated with Iran in the fuss for discussing the “nuclear Strait of Hormuz, as it attacked several oil armament” on a nationwide scale. LKP tankers belonging to different countries, representative Hwang Kyo An and its despite its denial of having anything to do floor leader Ra Kyong Won criticized the with the attacks. Iran also shot down an current regime, saying its “obstinate pro- American drone, which it claimed had north policy” has caused the present violated Iranian airspace, even though the “security crisis”. They even said that they Americans denied this. would convene an assembly meeting to 65 Nuclear, Missile & Space Digest

examine “security retrogression”. Won Yu July the “operational deployment” of the Chol, chairman of the special committee for new submarine “is near at hand.” But the the north’s nukes, diplomacy and security CSIS report called the threat from the of LKP, said that strong countermeasures submarine “emerging rather than can only deter the north’s provocation, imminent.” The submarine will have to go adding LKP will prepare a strong nuclear through a period of trials and tests that strategy of a south Korean style to protect could take more than a year, the CSIS the people from the north’s nuclear threat. report said, before becoming fully Their reckless remarks are no more than operational. “There is no conclusive nonsense of lunatics who are unable to move evidence at the moment that this is a near- even a bit without the master’s approval. term certainty,” said the report.

http://www.pyongyangtimes.com.kp/?bbs=31079 https://www.voanews.com/east-asia-pacific/ experts-north-koreas-nuclear-capable-missile- Experts: North Korea’s Nuclear- threat-real-not-imminent Capable Missile Threat Real But Not Imminent ‘Impact of scrapping GSOMIA will hit Korea harder’ Kim Young-gyo, VOA News, August 29, 2019 Do Je-hae, Korea Times, August 17, 2019 The threat of North Korea launching a Former Korean Ambassador to Japan Shin nuclear-capable missile from a submarine is Kak-soo has cautioned against some calls real but not imminent, experts said, after to scrap a military information-sharing recent satellite images displayed a docked pact with Japan as a response to a series craft with missile capability. “If you really of trade restrictions imposed on Seoul since want to be able to launch a ballistic missile early July. “It is an important component that could hold a nuclear weapon, you have of the Korea-U.S.-Japan system of crisis to have a very high degree of reliability. And management on the Korean Peninsula.” that can just take time,” said David Albright, The former top envoy to Japan underlined a former U.N. nuclear inspector who now that Korea needs the pact more than is a nuclear proliferation analyst at the Japan. “Japan has more confidential Institute for Science and International military information on the Korean Security. “And the only evidence we have Peninsula than Korea,” he said. He seen so far is the outer part of the submarine. stressed that they have more advanced And so, it’s a big jump from that to the equipment that processes accurate imminent threat.” information on North Korea’s continued Satellite photos of North Korea’s Sinpo South provocations. There has been speculation Shipyard taken on Monday show vessels that Seoul has raised the possibility of and a crane that could be used to move a repealing GSOMIA as a way of getting missile barge for a ballistic missile test from U.S. attention in the Korea-Japan conflict. a submarine, according to a report by the “If the decision to scrap GSOMIA is Center for Strategic and International actually made, however, it will be a Studies (CSIS). The report, written by suicidal move.” analysts Joseph Bermudez and Victor Cha He pointed out that the Korean of CSIS’s Beyond Parallel project, confirms government is lacking a long-term a July 23 report by North Korea’s Korean perspective on Japan. He called Japan a Central News Agency’s (KCNA) showing “natural strategic partner” that is North Korean leader Kim Jong Un indispensable to Korea. “If Korea-Japan inspecting a new submarine. relations worsen, we will suffer greater The CSIS report said Kim’s inspection in July damage,” Shin said. “We need a stern seems to have taken place at the Sinpo South response to Japan’s faults, but we also need Shipyard, site of the Korean People’s Navy’s a cool-headed approach.” In particular, submarine missile tests. KCNA reported in he noted that maintaining good relations 66 Volume 11, Number 17 September 15, 2019

with Japan is the key to overcoming Korea’s the realities. North Korea launched missiles grave geopolitical situation facing various and sneered at the South a day after Moon challenges from the U.S., China and North talked about peace. This is the truth about Korea and assuaging the rising concerns the North. Seoul must respond sternly to over Korea’s diplomatic isolation. “We need Pyongyang’s derision and provocations. diplomacy that makes friends,” Shin said. “It will be our loss if we disregard Japan due http://www.koreaherald.com/ to historical issues. Worsening Korea-Japan view.php?ud=20190818000087&ACE_SEARCH=1 relations will also have a very negative impact on Korea-U.S. and Korea-China Positive turn relations.” Korea Herald, August 19, 2019 https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2019/ Foreign ministers from South Korea, 08/103_274171.html China and Japan will gather together in Beijing for three days from Tuesday for Pie in the sky their first trilateral talks in three years. As Seoul’s Foreign Ministry stated last week, Korea Herald, August 18, 2019 the upcoming meeting is expected to help North Korea has intensified provocations strengthen the foundation for and criticism of South Korea. The North test- institutionalizing and fleshing out the fired two missiles and ridiculed the South a system of cooperation among the day after South Korean President Moon Jae- northeast Asian powers. in vowed to establish a “peace economy” in his Liberation Day speech. It is the sixth The top diplomats are likely to discuss provocation in three weeks. The missiles preparations for a possible summit among were fired only 50 kilometers from the leaders of the three countries. The last such Military Demarcation Line separating South trilateral summit was held in Tokyo in May and North Korea. That is how emboldened last year. Enhanced cooperation among Pyongyang was. The North Korean South Korea, China and Japan could help Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of them cope with a looming global recession the Fatherland said in a statement that and long-standing threats posed by North Pyongyang had nothing more to say to South Korea’s nuclear arms and missile Korean government officials, or any programs. The three-way gathering of intention to sit face-to-face with them. foreign ministers comes when Seoul and Tokyo are locked in a mutually damaging The committee bluntly dismissed Moon’s feud over trade and historical issues. vision of a peace economy. Moon envisioned http://www.koreaherald.com/ prosperity coming from peace between the view.php?ud=20190819000551&ACE_SEARCH=1 two Koreas. His remarks would even provoke “side-splitting laughter” in “the Japan boiled head of a cow,” the committee said. The North also did not hesitate to make TEPCO’s nuclear reactor personal attacks on Moon. It called the South Korean leader a “funny man as he reads decommissioning announcement what was written by his juniors” and “an too vague impudent guy rare to be found.” Mainichi Japan, August 29, 2019 It has never given up on its ultimate objective Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings of unifying Korea under communism. Still, Inc. (TEPCO) has announced for the first Moon has set his eyes on a peace economy time it will consider decommissioning one involving such an unruly state. This rosy or more of the first five reactors at its picture of the future is plausible, but his Kashiwazaki-Kariwa Nuclear Power rhetoric is empty. It alone cannot prevent Plant in central Japan. However restarting the nation from being shaken. The reactor Nos. 6 and 7 at the plant, which government ought to look dispassionately at straddles Kashiwazaki and Kariwa, 67 Nuclear, Missile & Space Digest

Niigata Prefecture, would be a prerequisite (Aug. 14) to show that Taiwan was not for decommissioning the reactors, the affected by a recent Russian nuclear company says. Another condition is the accident, the Liberty Times reports. A introduction of renewable energy to replace serious explosion occurred during a rocket the decommissioned reactors as sources of drill at an atomic facility in power that do not emit greenhouse gases. Arkhangelskaya Oblast, which is located in northwestern Russia, killing five Kashiwazaki Mayor Masahiro Sakurai engineers on August 8. The earlier requested that the company draw up Hydrometeorological Centre of Russia on plans for decommissioning as a prerequisite Tuesday (Aug. 13) disclosed ERM data in for judging whether to allow the restart of the city that showed background radiation reactor Nos. 6 and 7. But TEPCO’s vague to be 16 times higher than normal. decommissioning announcement with layered conditions simply appears to be a Taiwan’s AEC also disclosed data from all maneuver to advance procedures to restart 53 of its ERM stations, which are all within the reactors. the normal range. The AEC said that the ERM jump near the Russian military https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20190829/p2a/ facility was short-term, limited to the 00m/0na/008000c region, and had no impact on Taiwan.

Theater puts human face on nuclear https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/en/news/ 3763087 crisis, life in Trump era Carter Rice, The Asahi Shimbun, August 29, A nuclear red herring 2019 at 09:20 JST Taipei Times, August 24, 2019 Six dancers silently toss black garbage bags Kaohsiung Mayor Han Kuo-yu, the across the stage as images of the areas Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) around a crippled nuclear power plant scroll presidential nominee, on Wednesday over a large screen. Whenever a survivor of tossed a nuclear energy bombshell into the the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, which presidential race when he said that, if triggered a triple meltdown at the elected, he would see the mothballed Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant in Fourth Nuclear Power Plant made northeastern Japan, begins to speak on operational. On Thursday, he reiterated screen, the dancers imitate the individual’s that goal, while his campaign advisory gestures to emphasize his or her words. team said that a Han administration The filmed interviews with those who would aim to have at least half of the nation’s energy generated from renewable experienced the Great East Japan Earthquake sources by 2035 — which would be seven and its consequences form the heart of “Falling years after his presidency ends, assuming Out,” a theatrical production featured at the he wins two terms. inaugural CrossCurrents Festival, held this spring in Washington, D.C. Han reiterated complaints that the KMT has been making for months: that the http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/ administration of President Tsai Ing-wen AJ201908290018.html is ignoring the will of the millions who voted in favor of last year’s Referendum Taiwan No. 16: “Do you agree that subparagraph Taiwan not affected by Russian 1, Article 95 of the Electricity, which reads: ‘Nuclear-energy-based power-generating nuclear accident: AEC facilities shall wholly stop running by Zin Kao, Taiwan News, August 15, 2019 2025,’ should be abolished?” The Atomic Energy Council of Taiwan However, he and his team have two (AEC) disclosed environmental radiation caveats: The unfinished plant would be monitoring (ERM) data on Wednesday activated if its safety could be ensured and 68 Volume 11, Number 17 September 15, 2019

if the public agrees. Those are big ifs. On took time to reflect upon the destruction Thursday, Tsai criticized Han’s proposals, caused by the only uses of nuclear weapons saying that Han should do more homework in wartime. But not the New York Times’ before commenting on energy policy. Yet it Bret Stephens, who took the opportunity is not just Han and his advisers who need to argue in favor of building more nuclear to do more homework. The public needs to weapons. In an op-ed entitled “The U.S. be better educated as well. A survey by the Needs More Nukes,” Stephens laid out his Risk Society and Policy Research Center case against arms control: “the bad guys Taiwan in December last year highlighted cheat, the good guys don’t,” and all the the confusion of many Taiwanese about the while, the US nuclear arsenal is becoming role nuclear energy plays in Taiwan’s power “increasingly decrepit.” supply, a confusion that only exacerbated the obfuscatory wording of the pro-nuclear It’s a simple narrative; it’s also false. In referendums on the ballot the previous fact, Stephens’ article is largely littered with month. bad analogies, flawed assumptions, and straight-up incorrect facts about the nature http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/ of nuclear weapons and arms control. archives/2019/08/24/2003721015 https://thebulletin.org/2019/08/no-mr-stephens-the- Ryan Hass On Taiwan: Is the long united-states-doesnt-need-more-nuclear-weapons/ peace in Asia unraveling? Defense Spending and the New Taipei Times, August 26, 2019 CBO Budget Projections for Taiwan’s external environment is growing FY2020-FY202 increasingly complex, and not just in terms Anthony H. Cordesman, CSIS Washington, of cross-strait relations. While the Trump August 22, 2019 administration’s approval of F-16V fighter jets provides reassurance of America’s The CBO issued a new set of projections commitment to Taiwan, there are risks with for the U.S. Federal budget on August 19, overlearning the lesson. The inescapable 2019. Almost inevitably, these estimates reality is that Asia’s tectonic plates are focus attention on the growing federal debt shifting. Taiwan will not be immune to the and deficit. They projected that, shifts, and the United States will not be able to shield Taiwan from all of them. It’s too Deficits. In CBO’s projections, the federal early to tell which problems will mellow and budget deficit is $960 billion in 2019 and which will metastasize, but it would be a averages $1.2 trillion between 2020 and risky bet to assume that all of them will 2029. Over the coming decade, deficits simply resolve themselves. To navigate this (after adjustments to exclude the effects changing terrain, Taiwan will need leaders of shifts in the timing of certain payments) with vision, balance, and strategy. Such fluctuate between 4.4 percent and 4.8 attributes should be front of mind when percent of gross domestic product (GDP), voters go to the polls in January. well above the average over the past 50 years. Although both revenues and outlays http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/ grow faster than GDP over the next 10 archives/2019/08/26/2003721128/1 years in CBO’s baseline projections, the gap between the two persists… CBO’s estimate R. Think Tanks of the deficit for 2019 is now $63 billion No, Mr. Stephens, the United States more—and its projection of the cumulative deficit over the 2020–2029 period, $809 doesn’t need more nuclear weapons billion more—than it was in May 2019. Matt Korda, Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, Debt. As a result of those deficits, federal August 17, 2019 debt held by the public is projected to grow Last week, on the 74th anniversary of the steadily, from 79 percent of GDP in 2019 Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings, many to 95 percent in 2029—its highest level 69 Nuclear, Missile & Space Digest

since just after World War II… Taken tangible progress. A brief moment of hope together, other changes to the budget that some form of meaningful dialogue projections increased projected debt-service might emerge out of the G7 has reverted costs by nearly $0.3 trillion; $0.2 trillion of back to unnegotiable positions, and the that amount is associated with the increase next effect may well have been to further in projected spending stemming from the undermine Iran’s President Hassan Bipartisan Budget Act. Rouhani and harden the views of its Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and the These are important fiscal trends, as are the hardliners in the Revolutionary Guard. fact that an analysis by the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget indicates that So far “progress” has consisted largely of the CBO estimates an average rate of the fact that Iran has not withdrawn from economic growth of 1.8 percent versus the the JCPOA, and the Trump 2.9 percent used by OMB in its budget Administration has said it is not seeking estimates. It also indicates that that Federal regime change and will not insist on any debt would rise from 78 percent of the GDP preconditions like the set of 12 demands it to 87 percent by 2029 versus the OMB made in withdrawing from the JCPOA. projection that it would drop to 71 percent. At the same time, however, Iran has been And, that the total deficit over the next progressively more aggressive in taking decade would rise to $9.9 trillion, $2.7 military action, and the US and Arab Gulf trillion above the Administration’s estimate. states have steadily hardened their military positions. https://www.csis.org/analysis/defense-spending- and-new-cbo-budget-projections-fy2020-fy2029 A low-level tanker war has developed inside and just outside the Gulf – raising The Nenoksa accident: A timeline of the constant risk of some form of more confusing and conflicting reports serious escalation and conflict. Iran has suffered a great deal from U.S. sanctions, John Krzyzaniak, Bulletin of the Atomic but has not given way or shown signs of Scientist, August 23, 2019 any serious rise in popular discontent that An accident offshore of the Nenoksa missile poses a serious threat to the regime. If test site in northern Russia caused an anything, it has become more aggressive explosion in early August that left five in supporting the Hezbollah and Houthi, Russian nuclear scientists dead. and in its actions in Syria, Iraq, and Yemen. At the same time, the Arab Gulf has Although only the Russians know what grown even more divided, with Saudi caused the explosion, some US intelligence Arabia and the UAE splitting over Yemen, officials and arms control experts believe the and a lack of any coherent security action Russians were testing an engine for a in the Gulf. nuclear-powered cruise missile. A review of varying public statements and news The end result is military confrontation, accounts since the accident suggests that the an arms race where several Arab Gulf full Nenoksa story has yet to be told. states are spending more than 10% of their GDP on military forces, and no clear path https://thebulletin.org/2019/08/the-nenoksa-accident-a- forward. The net impact of sanctions timeline-of-confusing-and-conflicting-reports/ seems as likely to continue to harden Iran’s position as to lead it to make serious The U.S., Iran, and the JCPOA: concessions. The risk of a more serious war Providing Incentives as Well as in the Gulf and/or the full collapse of the Threats JCPOA nuclear agreement is rising, and the spillover of this crisis feeds – and is fed Anthony H. Cordesman, CSIS Washington, by – the wars in Syria and Yemen and the August 28, 2019 struggle for influence in Iraq.

The latest round of exchanges between the https://www.csis.org/analysis/us-iran-and- U.S. and Iran has ended without any jcpoa-providing-incentives-well-threats 70 Volume 11, Number 17 September 15, 2019

Strangelove redux: US experts constructed with the support of the Indian propose having AI control nuclear Space Research Organization (ISRO). weapons Prime Minister Dr.Tshering appreciated the vision of Prime Minister Shri Modi in Matt Field, Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, launching the South Asia Satellite (SAS) August 31, 2019 in 2017, as a gift to the countries in the South Asia region, which has enabled Hypersonic missiles, stealthy cruise missiles, Bhutan to improve the reach and cost- and weaponized artificial intelligence have effectiveness of Bhutan Broadcasting so reduced the amount of time that decision Service, while also enhancing the disaster makers in the United States would management capacities within the theoretically have to respond to a nuclear Kingdom. attack that, two military experts say, it’s time for a new US nuclear command, control, https://pib.gov.in/ and communications system. Their solution? PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=1582298 Give artificial intelligence control over the launch button. India-France Joint Statement on In case handing over the control of nuclear Visit of Prime Minister to France weapons to HAL 9000 sounds risky, the (22-23 August 2019) authors also put forward a few other PIB, India, August 22, 2019 solutions to the nuclear time-pressure problem: Bolster the United States’ ability to 1.The Prime Minister of India, Mr respond to a nuclear attack after the fact, Narendra Modi, visited France for an that is, ensure a so-called second-strike official visit at the invitation of the capability; adopt a willingness to pre- President of the French Republic, Mr emptively attack other countries based on Emmanuel Macron, for a Bilateral Summit warnings that they are preparing to attack on 22nd and 23rd August 2019 in Paris the United States; or destabilize the country’s and to participate in the G7 Summit, on adversaries by fielding nukes near their 25th and 26th August 2019, in Biarritz, borders, the idea here being that such a move under the French presidency of the G7...... would bring countries to the arms control negotiating table. 4. Directly in line with the Joint Vision adopted during the State Visit to India of https://thebulletin.org/2019/08/strangelove-redux- President Macron in March 2018, France us-experts-propose-having-ai-control-nuclear- and India desire to deepen their space weapons/ cooperation so as to meet new challenges together, whether it concerns planetary S. Reports and Original Documents exploration or human spaceflight. France and India thus welcome the decision to Joint Statement on the State Visit of train medical support personnel for Indian Prime Minister of India to Bhutan astronauts, who will be part of India’s manned space mission by 2022. The PIB India, August 18, 2019 training will be carried out in France and 1.Prime Minister of India, H.E. Shri in India. The leaders welcomed signing of Narendra Modi, made a State Visit to the an Implementing Arrangement for Kingdom of Bhutan from 17-18 August establishment of a framework for the 2019, at the invitation of the Prime Minister realization of joint maritime domain of Bhutan, H.E. Dr.LotayTshering. This was awareness mission. They also hailed the among the first bilateral visits by Prime launch of a Space Climate Observatory Minister Shri Modi after assuming office for that further enhances Indo-French the second time in May 2019.... cooperation on combating climate change, besides TRISHNA joint mission and 13. The two Prime Ministers inaugurated the accommodating Argos in Oceansat 3. In Ground Earth Station of the South Asian an increasingly threatened environment, Satellite in Thimphu, which was they have also resolved to act together at 71 Nuclear, Missile & Space Digest

the international level to promote norms and Nawaz Sharif withdraw his forces. It was best practices necessary for guaranteeing the a close call. safety of space missions. https://worldview.stratfor.com/article/question- 5. In the digital space, the two countries never-gets-asked-about-kashmir-plurality- support economic and social development citizens-india-pakistan-nuclear through an open, secure and peaceful cyberspace, in which the international law Iran-related Designations; Non- applies. To this end, the two leaders have proliferation Designations adopted a cybersecurity and digital technology road map aimed at expanding Office of Foreign Assets and Control, US Indo-French bilateral cooperation, Department of Treasury, August 28, 2019 particularly in the strategic sectors of high The following individuals have been added performance computing and Artificial to OFAC’s SDN List: AKHAEI, Intelligence, with the target of bringing our Shaghayegh); DOB 12 Mar 1988; alt. DOB start-up ecosystems closer to each other.They 07 Mar 1988; nationality Iran; Additional further welcomed the signing of the Sanctions Information - Subject to Cooperation Agreement between the Centre Secondary Sanctions; Gender Female; for Development of Advanced Computing National ID No. 0079221777 (Iran) and Atos aiming at developing the (individual) [NPWMD] [IFSR] (Linked To: cooperation in the fields of quantum PISHTAZAN KAVOSH GOSTAR computing, Artificial Intelligence and BOSHRA, LLC).DEHGHAN; DOB 21 Sep exascale supercomputing. 1987; POB Yazd, Iran; Additional Sanctions Information - Subject to https://pib.gov.in/ Secondary Sanctions; Gender Male; PressReleseDetail.aspx?PRID=1582729 National ID No. 4433648353 (individual) [NPWMD] [IFSR] (Linked To: The Question That Never Gets RASTAFANN ERTEBAT ENGINEERING Asked About Kashmir COMPANY). Charles Glass, Stratfor, August 23, 2019 DEHGHAN, Hamed (a.k.a. CHENARI, Pakistan responded by testing five of its Hamed Ahmad Ali Dehghan), Unit 17, nuclear bombs on May 28. Pandora’s box Building number 48, Metro Area of Pars was wide open, threatening mass Tehran, East Resalat, Iran; DOB 1984; destruction to the Asian subcontinent if the nationality Iran; Additional Sanctions Pakistani and Indian armies squared off Information - Subject to Secondary along the Line of Control that separated Sanctions; Gender Male; National ID No. their forces in the disputed region of Jammu 4432874473 (Iran) (individual) [NPWMD] and Kashmir. That happened a year later [IFSR] (Linked To: RASTAFANN when Pakistani paramilitaries ERTEBAT ENGINEERING COMPANY). masquerading as indigenous Kashmiri rebel EBRAHIMZADEH, Mahdi (a.k.a. jihadists penetrated the Line of Control in ARDAKANI, Mehdi Hosein Kashmir’s Kargil region. The Indian army Ebrahimzadeh); DOB 1985; nationality confronted them, and U.S. intelligence Iran; Additional Sanctions Information - detected Pakistan moving tactical nuclear Subject to Secondary Sanctions; Gender weapons onto the battlefield. American Male; National ID No. 4449759990 (Iran) diplomat Bruce Reidel wrote in his (individual) [NPWMD] [IFSR] (Linked To: informative book, Avoiding Armageddon: DEHGHAN, Hamed). America, India, and Pakistan to the Brink and Back, “The last war that India and Pakistan https://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/ fought, over Kargil, threated to expand to a sanctions/OFAC-Enforcement/Pages/ 20190828.aspx nuclear conflict.” It didn’t go nuclear, following U.S. President Bill Clinton’s demand that Pakistani Prime Minister 72 Volume 11, Number 17 September 15, 2019

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