Top News Questions about China’s DF-17 and a nuclear capability The Diplomat Zafar Satellite or producing nuclear intercontinental ballistic missiles? Tehran Times Pakistan successfully tests nuclear-capable air launched cruise missile Ra’ad-II India Today United States Brouillette says $19.8B is ‘the right number’ for NNSA’s 2021 budget Exchange Monitor2/14/20 The roughly $20 billion 2021 budget the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) requested on Monday — a figure that would come at the expense of the Pentagon’s naval shipbuilding budget and, to a lesser extent, cleanup of the nation’s nuclear weapons waste. Pit production at Los Alamos offers influential ‘template’ for Savannah River Site Aiken Standard2/15/20 The production of nuclear weapon cores, known as plutonium pits, at a storied site in northern New Mexico will influence and enlighten a related production effort recommended for the Savannah River Site south of Aiken. OPINION: “Strengthen deterrence” with more nuclear bombs? Federation of American ScientistsSteven Aftergood 2/18/20 Earlier this month the Department of Defense acknowledged that it has recently begun to deploy low-yield nuclear warheads on certain submarine ballistic missiles. East Asia What’s next? Where North Korea’s missile testing goes from here NK News2/17/20 The year 2019 was in stark contrast with the previous year in terms of both North Korean weapons testing and U.S.-DPRK diplomacy. Questions about China’s DF-17 and a nuclear capability The Diplomat2/16/20 In testimony before the U.S. Senate’s Committee on Armed Services last week, Admiral Charles A. Richard, the commander of U.S. Strategic Command, discussed a range of developments in the strategic nuclear forces of both Russia and China. Middle East ANALYSIS: Toward a new Iran nuclear deal Project SyndicateVolker Prethes 2/18/20 When Iran announced in January that it would further “reduce” its commitments under the 2015 deal limiting its nuclear activities, it was not responding to the United States’ assassination of Iranian Quds Force leader General Qassem Suleimani a few days earlier. Zafar Satellite or producing nuclear intercontinental ballistic missiles? Tehran Times2/14/20 Despite the absence of any legal restrictions on testing and launching satellites, there has always been a political interpretation by Western states about Iran’s satellite launches. Russia/Europe Trump still hoping for US-Russia-China nuclear arms pact U.S. News2/14/20 Trump administration officials say no decision has been made about whether to extend the last remaining treaty that constrains U.S. and Russian nuclear forces because they want more time to coax China into a three-way arms control pact. South Asia Pakistan successfully tests nuclear-capable air launched cruise missile Ra’ad-II India Today2/18/20 The Ra’ad-II weapon system is equipped with state-of-the-art guidance and navigation systems ensuring engagement of targets with high precision.