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Issue No. 1322 6 July 2018 // USAF CSDS Outreach Journal Issue 1322 // Feature Report “Special Report: How America Protects Its Citizens and Allies from Ballistic Missiles”. By Ben Watson. Published by Defense One; June 29, 2018 https://www.defenseone.com/feature/Protecting-US-Citizens-from-Ballistic-Missiles/ The U.S. military has four primary means of shooting down incoming missiles. But even together, they can’t promise to stop everything. Whether it’s U.S. islands like Guam or Hawaii, coastal cities like San Diego or New York City, or allied territories across the ocean, the 21st century has heightened the threat of ballistic missiles to the United States and its allies. The U.S. military has four systems to shoot down ballistic missiles. It’s an expensive approach, to be sure; and in 17 years of tests, the four systems have hit their targets about four out of of every five tries. But military planners know that when the missiles actually fly, a single missed intercept could have unspeakably catastrophic consequences. Issue No. 1320 22 June 2018 twitter.com/USAF_CSDS | au.af.mil/au/csds // 2 // USAF CSDS Outreach Journal Issue 1322 // TABLE OF CONTENTS NUCLEAR WEAPONS Nuclear Gravity Bomb Completes First Qual Tests on B-2 Bomber (Military.com) The Air Force, together with the Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration, earlier this month released a B61-12 non-nuclear test assembly from the Spirit. North Korea Working to Conceal Key Aspects of Its Nuclear Program, U.S. Officials Say (The Washington Post) U.S. intelligence officials, citing newly obtained evidence, have concluded that North Korea does not intend to fully surrender its nuclear stockpile … North Korea Reportedly Expanding Ballistic Missile Production Facility (NPR) The Wall Street Journal, citing satellite imagery, reports that the bulk of the new construction at the facility in the North Korean city of Hamhung took place in April and June, around the time Kim was meeting with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, and later with Trump. Wargaming and Deterrence Options: Signalling a Low-Yield Response (Real Clear Defense) The problem with fielding such a force is politics based on cost and will. US COUNTER-WMD Exclusive: Japan to Buy Advanced U.S. Radar for Missile Defense System (Reuters) Japan will next week pick a U.S.-made advanced radar for its multibillion-dollar missile defense system, an upgrade that could help ease trade friction with Washington and provide cutting-edge protection against the arsenals of North Korea and China, sources said. Air Force Tests New CBRN-Protective Liner for Mobile Medical Tent System (Global Biodefense) During the event, Airmen employed the new Expeditionary Medical Support System (EMEDS) tent liner airlock system to create an over-pressurized environment that protects from CBRN agents. OPCW Hosts Medical Treatment of Victims of Chemical Weapons Symposium (Global Biodefense) More than 50 scientists, clinicians, experts, academia, and civil society representatives from around the world attended the Symposium … New Nerve Gas Detector Built with Legos and a Smartphone (UT News) The new methodology described in a paper published Wednesday in the open-access journal ACS Central Science combines a chemical sensor with photography to detect and identify different nerve agents— odorless, tasteless chemical weapons that can cause severe illness and death, sometimes within minutes. US ARMS CONTROL Experts Accentuate Significance of Trump-Putin Summit — Analysis (Eurasia Review) Whether presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin would turn over a new leaf when they meet in Helsinki, Finland on July 16 remains to be seen. UN Chief Marks 50 Years Since NPT Signing (VOA) The United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Sunday hailed the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). Iran’s Rohani Due in Switzerland, Austria amid Nuclear-Deal Dispute (Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty) Rohani's trip to Switzerland and Austria, which took over the rotating European Union presidency on July twitter.com/USAF_CSDS | au.af.mil/au/csds // 3 // USAF CSDS Outreach Journal Issue 1322 // 1, is part of a diplomatic effort by Tehran to rally support in the wake of the Unites States' withdrawal from the nuclear deal. Israel Confident U.S. to Keep Protections in Any Saudi Nuclear Power Deal (Reuters) Israel’s energy minister said on Tuesday after meeting Trump administration officials he is confident that the United States will not relax non-proliferation standards in any nuclear power deal it agrees with Saudi Arabia. COMMENTARY The Trump-Putin Summit Could Do Some Good If … (Brookings Institution) Having hit a post-Cold War low, the U.S.-Russia relationship could use a push toward a better state. What America Wants from Iran Can’t Be Achieved by Regime Change (The National Interest) The question of what America wants, and above all, how it might get what it is after, still needs to be worked out. Why I’m Still Hopeful about Trump’s North Korea Deal (Politico) As someone who has spent years immersed in the problem of North Korea’s nuclear ambitions, as secretary of defense and later as a presidential envoy on nuclear issues, I watched events of the past spring with a mix of hope and skepticism. Low-Hanging Fruit: Ratify Protocols for Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zones (Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists) In fact, Washington could now take arms control steps that are entirely within its own control—steps not dependent on the policies or actions of other nations. North Korea: There is No Such Thing as Stable Deterrence (Real Clear Defense) The history of how deterrence actually worked during the Cold War shows that any deterrence arrangement between the U.S. and North Korea will necessarily be subject to a substantial risk of catastrophic failure. twitter.com/USAF_CSDS | au.af.mil/au/csds // 4 // USAF CSDS Outreach Journal Issue 1322 // NUCLEAR WEAPONS Military.com (San Francisco, Calif.) Nuclear Gravity Bomb Completes First Qual Tests on B-2 Bomber By Oriana Pawlyk June 30, 2018 The B61-12 guided nuclear gravity bomb has gone through its first series of tests on the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber. The Air Force, together with the Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration, earlier this month released a B61-12 non-nuclear test assembly from the Spirit. The kit included a NNSA-designed bomb assembly and the Air Force's acquired tail-kit to be used on the B61-12 variant of the bomb, according to a Department of Energy release. "These qualification flight tests demonstrate the B61-12 design meets system requirements and illustrate the continued progress of the B61-12 life extension program to meet national security requirements," said Brig. Gen. Michael Lutton, NNSA's principal assistant deputy administrator for military application. "The achievement is also a testament to the dedication of our workforce and the enduring partnership between NNSA and the U.S. Air Force," he added in the release. The two non-nuclear system qualification flight tests of the B61-12 took place on June 9 at Tonopah Test Range in Nevada, officials said. They were conducted by the 419th Test & Evaluation Squadron at Edwards Air Force Base, California. The exercises marked first such "end-to-end qualification tests on a B-2A Spirit Bomber for the B61-12," the release said. "The tests are part of a series of joint tests to demonstrate both the aircraft's capability to deliver the weapon and the weapon's non-nuclear functions." Part of the system's hardware is designed by Sandia National Laboratories and Los Alamos National Laboratory and manufactured by the Nuclear Security Enterprise plants. Meanwhile, Boeing Co. has designed and manufactured the tail-kit assembly under contract with the Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center, officials said. Using the B61-12 will help consolidate and replace the existing B61 bomb variants in the U.S.'s nuclear stockpile, the release said. The first completed bomb kits are scheduled to debut sometime in fiscal 2020. In May, top Air Force officials announced trials with the B61-12 were progressing successfully. "We've already conducted 26 engineering, development and guided flight tests," said Lt. Gen. Jack Weinstein, deputy chief of staff for strategic deterrence and nuclear integration. "The program's doing extremely well." The B61-12 modification program, which has been in the works for at least seven years, is slated to be carried by the B-2, as well as the future B-21 Long Range Strategic Bomber, known as the Raider. The F-35 Lightning II Joint Program Office has also been working on integrating the latest modification into its weapons arsenal. The F-35 was designed with a requirement to carry a nuclear payload. In 2015, an F-35 flew with the B61-12 to measure its vibration in the aircraft's weapons bay. twitter.com/USAF_CSDS | au.af.mil/au/csds // 5 // USAF CSDS Outreach Journal Issue 1322 // Both of the fourth-gen fighters will be able to deploy the B61-12 bomb. The B61-12 also conducted its third and final developmental test flight aboard an F-15E in 2015. https://www.military.com/daily-news/2018/06/30/b61-12-nuclear-gravity-bomb-completes- first-qual-tests-b-2-bomber.html Return to top The Washington Post (Washington, D.C.) North Korea Working to Conceal Key Aspects of Its Nuclear Program, U.S. Officials Say By Ellen Nakashima and Joby Warrick June 30, 2018 U.S. intelligence officials, citing newly obtained evidence, have concluded that North Korea does not intend to fully surrender its nuclear stockpile, and instead is considering ways to conceal the number of weapons it has and secret production facilities, according to U.S.
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