Top News Air Force’s next-gen ICBM program takes another step forward Defense News RAF seeks hypersonic weapons and propulsions systems Air Force Technology India acquiring S-400 missile defence system from Russia ‘problem’ for America: US commander The Times of India U.S. Nuclear Policy Raytheon to build command-and-control SATCOM system to link nuclear forces to national command authorities Military & Aerospace Electronics7/22/2019 The Global ASNT system uses EHF and Advanced EHF waveforms to provide protected communications to nuclear bomber, missile, and support aircraft crews. Air Force’s next-gen ICBM program takes another step forward Defense News7/17/2019 The Air Force moved its competition for new intercontinental ballistic missiles to the next stage on July 16, releasing a solicitation for the weapon system’s first five production lots. U.S. Air Force to begin transferring space situational awareness data to Commerce Department Space News7/19/2019 The U.S. Commerce Department is “imminently” close to receiving a repository of satellite and space debris tracking data from the Air Force, a Commerce official said Wednesday. East Asia China to Release New White Paper on National Defense: What to Expect The DiplomatAnkit Panda 7/23/2019 China’s strategic environment and capabilities have transformed considerably in the four years since the last document. Warning signs in Chinese launches Taipei TimesLu Li-shih 7/23/2019 From June 29 to July 3, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) for the first time conducted multiple test firings of ballistic missiles in the South China Sea. Russia/Former Soviet Union/Europe Russia’s doctrine is challenge to US nuclear deterrent — Pentagon TASS Russian News Agency7/21/2019 The US under secretary of defense once again accused Moscow of violating the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty. RAF seeks hypersonic weapons and propulsions systems Air Force Technology7/18/2019 The UK Royal Air Force (RAF) has announced a £10m contract to develop hypersonic weapons and propulsion systems that would make the RAF the world’s fastest air force. South Asia Pakistan will give up Nuclear weapons if India does: PM Khan Global Village Space7/23/2019 Between Pakistan and India, the idea of nuclear war is actually self-destruction, he said. India acquiring S-400 missile defence system from Russia ‘problem’ for America: US commander The Times of India7/20/2019 India inked an agreement with Russia last October to procure a batch of the S-400 missile systems at a cost of Rs 40,000. Opinion/Analysis/Commentary Clock’s ticking on one of world’s most important nuclear treaties. A dangerous arms race may be next CNNEliza Mackintosh 7/20/2019 This week, senior American officials traveled to Switzerland to deliver President Donald Trump’s “vision for a new direction in nuclear arms control.” That vision is to strike a wide-ranging deal that would limit the arsenals of not only the US and Russia, but also China for the first time. A path toward renewing arms control Bulletin of the Atomic ScientistsLawrence J. Korb 7/18/2019 To deal with the troubled arms control situation before it becomes a catastrophe, Global Priorities—an international network of experts, religious leaders, and non-governmental organization collaborators, all dedicated to reducing nuclear weapons, dangers, and expenditures, in favor of human needs—met in Rome last month to discuss the situation and propose some solutions to avert a disastrous outcome. India’s vanishing nuclear scientists Asia TimesPitamber Kaushik 7/22/2019 According to the Indian government, over a three-year period, at least nine unnatural deaths of scientists and engineers have occurred just at the BARC, as well as at the Kaiga nuclear facility. Two of these have been categorized as suicide, while the rest remain “unexplained.” Special Interest The 2019 War on the Rocks Summer Fiction Reading List War on the RocksWOTR Staff 7/17/2019 We are in the thick of summer and many of us are (or should be) cozying up to some novels and short stories. Not sure which one to purchase and crack open? We have you covered. We asked our staff as well as our senior and contributing editors what fiction they think you should be reading this summer. And here is the list!