Top News Sen. Hoeven: Fully Fund GBSD & Nuke Warhead Modernization Breaking Defense Dragonflies: A lesson in missile defense Sandia National Laboratories Full Text: China’s National Defense in the New Era The State Council of the People’s Republic of China U.S. Nuclear Policy Sen. Hoeven: Fully Fund GBSD & Nuke Warhead Modernization Breaking DefenseSen. John Hoeven 7/24/19 Anyone who doubts the United States must modernize its nuclear deterrent need only look at the modernization efforts of the world’s other nuclear powers. B-21 to Fly in December 2021; More B-52s to Come Out of Boneyard Air Force Magazine7/24/19 The new B-21 Raider stealth bomber is making good progress and should fly in December 2021, USAF Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Stephen “Seve” Wilson said July 24. General Dynamics Confident Flat Federal Spending Won’t Slow Down Columbia Class U.S. Naval Institute7/24/19 A flat but stable defense budget outlook was welcomed by the General Dynamics chief executive, who told analysts she expects important shipbuilding programs will be funded by the spending plan agreed to by Congress and the White House this week. Air Force Wants Simulated Wargames to Plan For Lasers, Electro-Magnetic Weapons NextGov7/22/19 The wargames are meant to teach airmen about these new weapons and help the Air Force develop new tactics and procedures. East Asia Nuclear talks in doubt as North Korea tests ballistic missiles, envoy cancels trip Reuters7/24/19 North Korea test-fired two new short-range ballistic missiles on Thursday, South Korean officials said, its first missile test since its leader, Kim Jong Un, and U.S. President Donald Trump agreed to revive denuclearisation talks last month. China renews calls for nuclear talks with US after North Korea fires off more missiles South China Morning Post7/25/19 China has again called for dialogue to resolve the North Korean nuclear crisis after Pyongyang fired two short-range missiles on Thursday. North Korea’s New Ballistic Missile Submarine Is A Refurbished Antique (Updated) The Drive7/23/19 The boat is based on a dated 1950s Soviet design, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t a significant development. China Holds Firm on No First Use of Nuclear Weapons Union of Concerned ScientistsGregory Kulacki 7/24/19 China is not preparing to fight a nuclear war with United States. It does not have “battlefield” or “tactical” or “non-strategic” nuclear weapons. Chinese nuclear strategists don’t think a nuclear war with the United States is likely to happen. And they seem sure it won’t happen as long as the US president believes China can retaliate if the United States strikes first. Opinion/Analysis/Commentary US Nuclear Modernization: Looming Conflict or Re-emerging Consensus? The Epoch TimesPeter Huessy 7/23/19 Emerging now after relative calm on nuclear spending, the 2019 change in the House leadership is threatening to unravel the spending consensus created over the past decade on nuclear modernization Dragonflies: A lesson in missile defense Sandia National LaboratoriesTroy Rummler 7/19/19 The Sandia research is examining whether dragonfly-inspired computing could improve missile defense systems, which have the similar task of intercepting an object in flight, by making on-board computers smaller without sacrificing speed or accuracy. Dragonflies catch 95% of their prey, crowning them one of the top predators in the world. Arms Racing With China: Low-Cost Jet Fighters The Epoch TimesRick Fisher 7/22/2019 Arms sales are a major tool that China is using to advance its building of military networks around the world, for example, offering a $30 million–$40 million fighter that is about 90 percent as effective as current versions of the $60 million–$90 million U.S. F-16. In contrast, the United States has largely ignored this market since the U.S. Air Force (USAF) refused to purchase the Northrop F-20 lightweight supersonic fighter in the early 1980s. The Significance of the First Ever China-Russia Strategic Bomber Patrol The DiplomatFranz-Stefan Gady 7/25/19 The impact of the recent flight of four nuclear-capable bombers on regional strategic stability in East Asia should not be underestimated. Special Interest Full Text: China’s National Defense in the New Era The State Council of the People’s Republic of China7/24/19 The State Council Information Office of the People’s Republic of China released a white paper titled “China’s National Defense in the New Era” on July 24.