TOP NEWS US, Israel’s Arrow-3 missile put to the test in Alaska Defense News Iran intends to restart activities at Arak heavy water nuclear reactor: ISNA news agency Reuters An engineering perspective on avoiding inadvertent nuclear war Nautilus Institute U.S. Nuclear Policy US, Israel’s Arrow-3 missile put to the test in Alaska Defense News7/28/19 Arrow-3 missiles successfully took out target missiles in high-altitude, hit-to-kill test engagements conducted at the Pacific Spaceport Complex-Alaska in Kodiak. Pentagon pivots to more “public engagement” Federation of Atomic Scientists7/29/19 Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper, who took office last week, has directed senior military and civilian defense officials to “more actively engage with the public,” according to a Pentagon memo issued on Friday. Europe Russia test launches Topol ICBM Defense World7/27/19 Russia’s Strategic Missile Forces (SMF) test launched “Topol” intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) from Kapustin Yar rocket launch and development site located in the western part of Russia on Friday. Raytheon upgrading Germany’s Patriot integrated air and missile defense system Press Release Newswire7/29/19 Raytheon Company is upgrading Germany’s Patriot Integrated Air and Missile Defense System to the most current configuration available under a $105.5 million direct commercial sales contract from the NATO Support and Procurement Agency. Middle East Iran’s Rouhani seeks closer UK ties with Johnson Associated Press7/28/19 Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has penned an open letter to Britain’s new prime minister, saying he hopes the countries’ diplomatic ties will be stronger under Boris Johnson’s leadership. Iran intends to restart activities at Arak heavy water nuclear reactor: ISNA news agency Reuters7/28/19 The head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization, Ali Akbar Salehi, told lawmakers on Sunday that Iran will restart activities at the Arak heavy water nuclear reactor. East Asia North Korea, China at the top of the agenda for Pompeo Asia trip Stars and Stripes7/26/19 Secretary of State Mike Pompeo heads to Asia this week with an agenda dominated by a stalemate in the Trump administration’s nuclear talks with North Korea and impasses with China over trade, Taiwan and the South China Sea. Opinion/Analysis/Commentary How North Korea could launch a nuclear war from the sea National Interest7/27/19 The Romeo-class, or Project 633, amounted to the last and most advanced in the lineage of Soviet diesel-electric submarines evolved from German U-Boats. Complete or not, but go full steam ahead on GBSD Breaking DefensePeter Huessy 7/26/19 If the current GBSD requirements can be met through amending the RFP without delaying the program, then we can go in that direction. Otherwise, Northrop Grumman should proceed with the GBSD research and development contract. Trump opened a door with North Korea. Will 2020 candidates follow? NPR 7/27/19 Trump’s meetings with North Korea’s dictator has led to a new level of engagement with Pyongyang. Any Democrat who manages to win in 2020 must decide whether to keep that relationship going. Special Interest Barreling toward a nuclear and ballistic missile arms race in the Middle East Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies 7/28/19 The Middle East is barreling toward a nuclear and ballistic missile arms race. An engineering perspective on avoiding inadvertent nuclear war Nautilus InstituteNancy Leveson 7/25/19 Using conservative techniques and avoiding software in critical functions in NC3 systems circumvented nuclear catastrophe in the past, but a new approach is needed that avoids unnecessary complexity today.