USAF Center for Unconventional Weapons Studies (CUWS) Outreach Journal CUWS Outreach Journal 1189 30 October 2015 Feature Item: “A National Blueprint for Biodefense: Leadership and Major Reforms Needed To Optimize Efforts”. Study Panel on Biodefense, co-chaired by Senator Joe Lieberman (I-CT) and former Governor and Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge (R-PA); Institutional sponsors: Hudson Institute and Inter-University Center for Terrorism Studies; published 28 October 2015. http://www.biodefensestudy.org/ The report, A National Blueprint for Biodefense: Leadership and Major Reform Needed to Optimize Efforts, details America’s vulnerability to bioterrorism and deadly outbreaks and emphasizes the need to transform the way our government is organized to confront these threats. Biodefense recommendations include centralizing leadership in the Office of the Vice President; establishing a White House Biodefense Coordination Council; strengthening state, local, territorial, and tribal capabilities; and promoting innovation through sustained biodefense prioritization and funding. The comprehensive report includes specific and pragmatic legislative, programmatic, and policy actions in the form of 33 urgent recommendations and close to 100 action items. The panel scrutinized the status of prevention, deterrence, preparedness, detection, response, attribution, recovery, and mitigation – the spectrum of activities deemed necessary for biodefense by both Republican and Democratic Administrations, and many policy experts. They identified substantial achievements, but also found serious gaps that continue to leave the homeland vulnerable to biological threats. U.S. Nuclear Weapons 1. Expert: U.S. Newly-Developed Submarine Poses Threat to China 2. Sandia Work to Extend Life of Nuclear Warheads U.S. Counter-WMD 1. New US Missile Defense Radar to be Ready for Testing by 2020 U.S. Arms Control 1. Rough Path Ahead for Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty 2. Russia Tests New Intercontinental Ballistic Missile — Defense Ministry 3. Pentagon: Northrop Grumman to Develop US Military’s New Long Range Bomber 4. Russian Armed Forces Carry Out Missile Launches as Part of Scheduled Inspection Homeland Security/The Americas 1. US Conducts Long-Range Bombing Exercises, ICBM Test 2. US Panel Proposes Executive Biodefence Office Issue No.1189, 30 October 2015 United States Air Force Center for Unconventional Weapons Studies| Maxwell AFB, Alabama http://cpc.au.af.mil \ https://twitter.com/USAF_CUWS Phone: 334.953.7538 | Fax: 334.953.7226 USAF Center for Unconventional Weapons Studies CUWS Outreach Journal Maxwell AFB, Alabama 3. Russian Deputy PM: Strategy of US Prompt Global Strike Illusory Asia/Pacific 1. North Korea’s Nuclear Status Unacceptable for Russia — Russian Ambassador 2. Heritage Foundation Report Classifies N. Korea as Gravest Threat to U.S. Interests 3. N. Korea Digging New Tunnel at Its Nuke Test Site: Official Europe/Russia 1. The Cost of Replacing Trident Is Really £167bn, New Figures Suggest 2. Russian Military Spending to Increase by Less Than 1% Next Year 3. Ministers: U.K. Royal Navy Guaranteed 4 New Nuclear Ballistic Missile Subs 4. Russia Modernizing S-300 Missile System for Iran 5. Russia to Complete Destruction of Its Chemical Weapons Stocks by 2020 — OPCW 6. Russian to Spend $34.8 Bln on Armed Forces in 2016 — Draft Budget 7. Scottish Labour Votes for Debate on Opposing Trident Renewal Middle East 1. Washington’s Jailing of Iranian Citizens Unacceptable: Spokeswoman 2. AEOI Official: Leader’s Mandates to be Fully Met on Uranium Exchange with Russia 3. Arak Reactor Redesigning A Phased Process: Iran’s FM 4. Iran’s Rowhani Expects Sanctions to Be Lifted by End of Year 5. JCPOA Could Raise Military Threats: Iran’s Civil Defense Chief 6. Former Iran President Indirectly Admits Country Sought Nuclear Weapons 7. Iran’s New Missiles Can Destroy Enemy Targets up to 2,000 KM Away 8. Iran, US, EU to Negotiate Acceleration to Implement Agreement 9. IS Has Access to Chemical Warfare Agents Production — Russian Foreign Ministry India/Pakistan 1. Russia to Lease another Nuclear Sub to India in December Commentary 1. Get Ready, America: Here Comes China's Ballistic Missile Defenses 2. Putin's World Is Far Removed From Reality (Op-Ed) 3. Why We Still Need a Nuclear-Armed Cruise Missile 4. The New Nuclear War Threat in US-China Ties 5. Nuclear Air Launched Cruise Missiles: They Still Matter 6. The Nuclear Option: Long Range Strike & the Case for Dual-Use 7. America's New LRS-B Stealth Bomber: How Many Does Washington Need? Return to Top Issue No.1189, 30 October 2015 United States Air Force Center for Unconventional Weapons Studies| Maxwell AFB, Alabama http://cpc.au.af.mil \ https://twitter.com/USAF_CUWS Phone: 334.953.7538 | Fax: 334.953.7226 USAF Center for Unconventional Weapons Studies (CUWS) Outreach Journal People’s Daily Online – Beijing, China Expert: U.S. Newly-Developed Submarine Poses Threat to China (People’s Daily Online) October 28, 2015 The U.S. Navy is developing a new ballistic missile submarine to replace the current Ohio-class submarines, according to the article China's Greatest Fear: U.S. Navy 'Cruise Missile Carriers' published on the website of the National Interest on Oct. 21. U.S. guided missile submarine targets great powers such as Russia and China, and the submarine poses a huge threat to China, said military expert Yin Zhuo in an interview with CCTV. The newly-developed submarine by the U.S. is not meant to replace aircraft carrier, said military expert Cao Weidong. Yin said ballistic missile submarine is a powerful tool for the U.S. to confront nuclear powers. The U.S. has built 18 Ohio-class ballistic missile nuclear submarines, among which 14 are still in service. Though the submarines have served for dozens of years, they are still world-class nuclear submarines. Yin pointed out that ballistic missile nuclear submarines are mainly used in nuclear wars, and the U.S. refitted its 30 years old ballistic missile nuclear submarines into guided missile submarines mainly for the use in conventional wars. The guided missile nuclear submarines are powerful, and pose huge threat to China, said Yin. The U.S. doesn’t mean to replace aircraft carriers by the submarine, said Cao. Aircraft carrier is a large combat platform on the sea but it’s easy to be found. The U.S. army can use guided missile nuclear submarine to launch accurate attack against other countries. http://en.people.cn/n/2015/1028/c98649-8967854.html Return to Top The Independent – Livermore, CA Sandia Work to Extend Life of Nuclear Warheads Thursday, October 29, 2015 Sandia National Laboratories is doing what it hasn’t done in decades: extending the life of a nuclear warhead, at the same time the U.S. Air Force develops a replacement cruise missile that will carry the weapon. The goal of the W80-4 Life Extension Program (LEP) is refurbishing the W80 warhead with replacement components for aging technology and components that have limited lifespans. Sandia’s California site is responsible for development of non-nuclear components and subsystems and for systems integration. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory is responsible for the refurbishment of the nuclear explosive package and joint development of detonators with safety features. A life extension program refurbishes aging components that are reaching the end of their service life. Scientists and engineers make decisions to reuse, remanufacture or redesign weapons Issue No.1189, 30 October 2015 United States Air Force Center for Unconventional Weapons Studies| Maxwell AFB, Alabama http://cpc.au.af.mil \ https://twitter.com/USAF_CUWS Phone: 334.953.7538 | Fax: 334.953.7226 USAF Center for Unconventional Weapons Studies CUWS Outreach Journal Maxwell AFB, Alabama components. A reused component is requalified to go back into a weapon without change. A component that’s determined to be past its original life is remanufactured to the original specifications. However, if some components can’t be remade to those specifications because the parts aren’t available anymore, Sandia redesigns them using modern parts. Based on President Obama's budget request, the W80-4 LEP budget would increase in fiscal year 2016. The W80-4 LEP is likely to become the largest weapons system development and integration effort at the Sandia California site in two decades. The W80 was originally developed by Los Alamos and Sandia, with the first units fielded in 1982. “The LEP will update the interface between the warhead and the missile to meet current Air Force standards and requirements, assuring nuclear safety and security,” said Paul Spence, who joined the program in February as manager of the W80-4 Systems Integration department. The W80-4 LEP builds on programs that began more than a decade ago. The feasibility study phase, officially known as Phase 6.2, was approved July 23 by the Nuclear Weapons Council (NWC). “It’s exciting to have the program in the Livermore Valley. It’s important … to collaborate closely with Lawrence Livermore and production agencies like the National Security Campus in Kansas City,” Spence said. “Sandia will also work with Pantex, Savannah River and others. There will be lots of interactions to build on and grow.” http://www.independentnews.com/labs_link/sandia-work-to-extend-life-of-nuclear- warheads/article_a3254504-7df2-11e5-abf6-d787f0b0d29d.html Return to Top Sputnik International – Russian Information Agency New US Missile Defense Radar to be Ready for Testing by 2020 The new LRDR system will be ready to be analyzed in five years. 26 October 2015 WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The new US Long Range Discrimination Radar (LRDR) system will be ready to be analyzed in five years, defense contractor Lockheed Martin said in a release on Monday. "Lockheed Martin’s proposed LRDR system will be built on an aggressive timeline ready for operational testing in Clear Air Force Station, Alaska by 2020," Lockheed Martin stated. On Thursday, the US government awarded Lockheed Martin $784 million to create a new missile defense radar computer in Moorestown, New Jersey and at Clear Air Force Station, Alaska.