Top News: Minuteman III test launch showcases readiness of U.S. nuclear force’s safe, effective deterrent Air Force Global Strike Command Public Affairs OPINION: 20th Air Force Commander: Nuclear modernization is path to a treaty with China Air Force Magazine Iran president picks hawkish diplomat to lead nuclear talks Bloomberg United States Minuteman III test launch showcases readiness of U.S. nuclear force’s safe, effective deterrent Air Force Global Strike Command Public Affairs8/11/21 Air Force Global Strike Command Airmen launched an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile equipped with a test re-entry vehicle from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California Aug. 11 at 12:53 a.m. Pacific Time to demonstrate the readiness of U.S. nuclear forces and provide confidence in the lethality and effectiveness of the nation’s nuclear deterrent. ‘Confident’ of 2023 fielding goal, army dubs hypersonic weapon ‘dark eagle’ Breaking Defense8/11/21 The U.S. Army is steadily progressing with its Long Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW) prototype, to the point the service plans to start training operations staff on ground-based equipment by mid October, says Bob Strider, deputy direction of the Army Hypersonic Project Office. OPINION: America needs to start telling the truth about Israel’s nukes The New York TimesPeter Beinart 8/11/21 Feigning ignorance about Israeli nuclear weapons makes a mockery of America’s efforts at nonproliferation. OPINION: 20th Air Force Commander: Nuclear modernization is path to a treaty with China Air Force MagazineAbraham Mahshie 8/10/21 “I believe modernization is a critical part of that, right? Modernization is a critical part of counter-proliferation. And modernization is a critical part of nuclear nonproliferation,” he added. “It is beneficial to work with the Chinese. We’ll see if the Chinese want to work with us.” OPINION: Why are we still building nuclear weapons? Follow the money ForbesWilliam Hartung 8/10/21 The U.S. is not alone in building a new generation of nuclear weapons – Russia and China are doing so as well. But the Pentagon’s 30-year plan to build new nuclear-armed bombers, missiles, and submarines – along with new nuclear warheads to go with them at a cost of up to $2 trillion – is the height of folly and an unnecessary, grave risk to the lives of current and future generations. A major reason for this misguided policy can be summed up in a phrase – there is money to be made in perpetuating the nuclear arms race. East Asia ANALYSIS: The case for a new North Korean nuclear deal The DiplomatIordanka Alexandrova 8/11/21 Mutual distrust has doomed past efforts to settle a deal between the U.S. and North Korea. Middle East Iran president picks hawkish diplomat to lead nuclear talks Bloomberg8/11/21 Iran’s new president picked a hawkish Foreign Ministry veteran with close ties to the military elite to replace Mohammad Javad Zarif as the nation’s top diplomat, underscoring the shift in power that’s clouding the resumption of nuclear talks with world powers. Israel sees little chance of Iran under Raisi returning to nuclear deal Haaretz8/11/21 Israeli officials assess that the chances of an Iranian return to the 2015 nuclear deal have significantly dropped, following the swearing in of hardline President Ebrahim Raisi last week. ANALYSIS: How Iran’s research reactors prove the nuclear deal is still working Bulletin of the Atomic ScientistsSamuel M. Hickey 8/11/21 An underexamined success story from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal negotiations is the effective blocking of Tehran’s ability to collect plutonium for a nuclear bomb. Not only has the nuclear deal, known officially as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), been effective in constraining Iran’s program, but it could, suitably adapted, provide a standard of guidance for research reactor construction that would lower proliferation risks worldwide.