Nuclear Policy News – January 13, 2020

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TOP NEWS

ANALYSIS: Hypersonic missiles: Why the new “arms race” is going nowhere fast
Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists

ANALYSIS: Why EU powers rejected Trump’s call to leave Iran nuclear deal
Voice of America

VIDEO: Russia’s hypersonic Kinzhal missile in action during large-scale drills in the Black Sea
RT

United States

OPINION: Building post-INF missiles would be a waste, or worse
Defense OneKingston Reif and Shannon Bugos
1/10/20
There is no military need for intermediate range missile in Europe.

Canada

Ontario alert warned of a nuclear ‘emergency,’ then backed down
New York Times1/12/20
Millions of people in Ontario, Canada’s most populous province, were greeted by a screeching alarm on their cellphones on Sunday morning and an ambiguous “emergency alert” about an “incident” at one of the world’s largest nuclear power plants.

Europe/Russia

VIDEO: Russia’s hypersonic Kinzhal missile in action during large-scale drills in the Black Sea
RT1/10/20
Russia’s cutting-edge, air-launched Kinzhal cruise missile has been spotted during massive military drills in the Black Sea, which also featured other missile weaponry, including the trusted Kalibr cruise missiles.

Middle East

ANALYSIS: Why EU powers rejected Trump’s call to leave Iran nuclear deal
Voice of AmericaMichael Lipin
1/11/20
European powers have rejected U.S. President Donald Trump’s call for them to join him in abandoning the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, with several factors pushing them to try to keep the deal alive, analysts say.

East Asia

North Korea says won’t trade nuclear weapons for sanctions lift
Bloomberg1/11/20
North Korea won’t rely on the personal relationship between its leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump as it doesn’t intend to trade its nuclear weapons for a lift of sanctions, its state-run media said, citing a Foreign Ministry advisor.

Defense Minister Taro Kono to meet U.S. defense chief Mark Esper in Washington, inspect missile-defense system in Hawaii
Japan Times1/11/20
Defense Minister Taro Kono said Friday he will visit Washington this coming week for a meeting with his U.S. counterpart, Mark Esper, to discuss the situation in the Middle East and other regional affairs.

ANALYSIS: Minor modifications at the abandoned 50 MWe reactor at Yongbyon
38 NorthFrank V. Pabian
1/10/20
Commercial satellite imagery of the previously abandoned, never completed, 50 MWe (200 MWth) Reactor at North Korea’s Yongbyon Nuclear Scientific Research Center indicates several unusual activities have occurred around this site over the past several years.

ANALYSIS: As Trump targets Iran, North Korea’s Kim would be wise to tone down his rhetoric and lie low
South China Morning PostJohn Barry Kotch
1/13/20
When the US invaded Iraq in 2003, North Korea’s Kim Jong-il went into hiding, fearing he may end up being targeted like Saddam. As US-Iran tensions escalate now, it is worth wondering what lesson Kim Jong-un has drawn from that episode

ANALYSIS: As Iran-U.S. drama plays out, North Korea leader Kim Jong Un takes notes
Channel News AsiaSteven Borowiec
1/11/20
To Kim, the Iran crisis underscores how vital nuclear weapons are to the hermit kingdom and how important patience is in playing the long game.

South Asia

ANALYSIS: Foundational basics of Pak nuclear program
Pakistan TodayRajkumar Singh
1/10/20
Pakistan gradually moved from a civilian to a civil-military nuclear program and ultimately a de facto nuclear weapon state.

Hypersonic Missiles

ANALYSIS: Hypersonic missiles: Why the new “arms race” is going nowhere fast
Bulletin of the Atomic ScientistsAndrew W. Reddie, CSIS PONI Mid-Career Cadre
1/13/20
The systemic consequences of hypersonic missiles will be minimal to nil, and the narrative that Washington is “behind” in a hypersonic arms race fails to take into account the different strategic challenges facing China, Russia, and the United States—not least that the United States need not overcome an adversary’s missile defense systems.

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