Top News: Pacific missile defense radars nixed, M.D.A. to study sensor architecture in region Defense News After schedule slips, refurbished nukes coming starting next year Exchange Monitor Trump to nominate envoy for North Korea to United Nations job New York Times United States Pacific missile defense radars nixed, M.D.A. to study sensor architecture in region Defense News2/12/20 The Missile Defense Agency has decided to abandon its plans to set up ballistic missile defense radars in the Pacific and is now planning to take a new look at the sensor architecture in the Indo-Pacific Command region to figure out what is necessary to handle emerging threats, according to Vice Adm. Jon Hill, the agency’s director. After schedule Slips, refurbished nukes coming starting next year Exchange Monitor2/12/20 After delays attributed to unsuitable electrical components, the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) now plans to manufacture the first refurbished B61-12 nuclear gravity bomb and W88 Alt-370 submarine-launched ballistic-missile warhead in 2022 and 2021, respectively, a senior agency official said here Tuesday. Utah’s uranium industry would benefit from Trump’s plan to create a $1.5 billion reserve Salt Lake Tribune2/13/20 The Trump administration’s newly proposed budget would throw a $1.5 billion lifeline to the struggling U.S. uranium industry, long battered by declining demand and cheap imports. East Asia Trump to nominate envoy for North Korea to United Nations job New York Times2/11/20 U.S. President Donald Trump plans to nominate the State Department’s deputy special representative for North Korea to a post at the United Nations, the White House said on Tuesday. Middle East AEOI Chief: Iran open to negotiations, logic IRNA2/12/20 The head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran Ali Akbar Salehi reiterated that Iran favors negotiations and logic but it will make no decision under pressure. Russia/Europe Trump weighs tapping nuke envoy to negotiate with Russia Politico2/12/20 Aides to President Donald Trump want to name a high-level negotiator to oversee nuclear talks with Moscow, former U.S. officials say – an effort that may be delaying a Trump decision on whether to extend America’s last major arms control treaty with Russia. OPINION: Europe puts what remains of the JCPOA in limbo Foreign PolicySaheb Sadeghi 2/12/20 About a year and a half after the United States left the Iran nuclear deal, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the agreement is nearing collapse. Multilateral Arms Control ANALYSIS: Walking on broken glass: the challenges of 2020’s arms control European Leadership NetworkAnya Fink 2/12/20 The year 2019 saw the continued collapse of nuclear and conventional arms control between Russia and the West. In the near term, there will be few domestic incentives to pursue new agreements, restrain the development of military technologies, and engage in principled diplomacy.