Top News: MDA’s FY21 budget paves way for new homeland missile defense plans Defense News Russia sent its proposal to US to extend New START at end of 2019, diplomat says TASS US think tank: N.Korea continuing nuclear activity NHK News United States MDA’s FY21 budget paves way for new homeland missile defense plans Defense News2/11/20 The Missile Defense Agency’s fiscal year 2021 $9.2 billion budget request shows a refocus on developing and deploying a layered homeland ballistic missile defense system. The Air Force just killed one of its hypersonic weapons programs Defense News2/11/20 The Air Force has cancelled the Hypersonic Conventional Strike Weapon program, one of the two major hypersonic weapons being spearheaded by the service. ANALYSIS: ARMS CONTROL’S LAST STAND InkstickWill Saeten 2/12/20 Last Wednesday, a clock began subtly ticking, its arms inching toward a dangerous and unpredictable future. ANALYSIS: Will the United States Develop a New Type of Nuclear Warhead? The DiplomatAnkit Panda 2/11/20 The U.S. Department of Energy’s fiscal year 2021 budget request, revealed on Monday, outlines, among other things, a new warhead program known as the W93. East Asia US think tank: N.Korea continuing nuclear activity NHK News2/11/20 The Center for Strategic and International Studies announced the results of analyses of satellite images taken on Monday and Tuesday of the Nyongbyon nuclear research facility. UN report says North Korea still enhancing missile programme Al Jazeera2/11/20 North Korea continued to enhance its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes last year while also illegally importing refined petroleum, all in breach of UN sanctions, according to a confidential UN report seen by Reuters. Virus Shuts North Korea’s Best Route Around Trump Sanctions Yahoo News2/12/20 North Korea’s decision to shut the border with China to avoid the coronavirus will set back its nascent economic recovery, renewing pressure on Kim Jong Un to return to nuclear negotiations with Donald Trump. Middle East Iran’s nuclear chief: U.S. JCPOA move undermining diplomacy 2/11/20Tehran Times The head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) said on Monday that the unilateral pullout of the U.S. from the 2015 nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), has dealt a blow to the agreement which proved the toughest international issues could be tackled diplomatically. Russia/Europe Russia sent its proposal to US to extend New START at end of 2019, diplomat says TASS2/11/20 Russia handed over its diplomatic note to the United States at the end of 2019 with a proposal to prolong the Treaty on Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms (the New START Treaty) without preconditions, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said on Tuesday.