Top News: Pandemic Hits Navy’s New Nuke Submarine Program Breaking Defense Menendez introduces arms control bills to constrain Russian and Chinese nuclear weapons U.S. Senate Putin, Trump discuss G7 summit, arms control in phone call Radio Free Europe United States Pandemic Hits Navy’s New Nuke Submarine Program Breaking Defense6/1/20 Work on the missile tubes for the Navy’s part of the nation’s nuclear triad is months behind schedule after Babcock was smacked hard by the pandemic. Northrop Grumman completes major design review for GBSD program Defense Connect6/1/20 The preliminary design review (PDR) is a technical assessment of the entire weapon system approach that is required to conclude the three-year TMRR effort, and inform the next phase of the GBSD program; the engineering and manufacturing development (EMD) phase. Menendez introduces arms control bills to constrain Russian and Chinese nuclear weapons U.S. Senate6/2/20 Senator Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, introduced two bills aimed at presenting coherent strategies to preserve and build upon the arms control frameworks that constrain Russia’s strategic nuclear forces, and develop a strategic arms control agenda with China around its nuclear arsenals. Funding, authorizations the ‘biggest’ risks pit production faces, Defense official says Aiken Standard6/1/20 Proper funding and necessary authorizations represent the “biggest” hurdles the plutonium pit production endeavor must clear, a U.S. Department of Defense executive said last week, echoing sentiments other nuclear officials have previously expressed. East Asia Seoul’s nuke envoy, Beijing’s ambassador discuss N. Korea issues KBS6/2/20 South Korea’s chief nuclear envoy and Beijing’s ambassador to Seoul held talks on North Korea’s nuclear weapons and other issues regarding the Korean Peninsula. OPINION: With North Korea, peace can precede denuclearization The Diplomat – Daniel Depetris 6/2/20 Washington should realize peace is possible with a nuclear North Korea. Russia and Europe Putin, Trump discuss G7 summit, arms control in phone call Radio Free Europe6/2/20 U.S. President Donald Trump has called Russian President Vladimir Putin to tell him about his proposal to convene an expanded Group of Seven (G7) summit later this year that would involve Russia, the Kremlin says. New Russian policy allows use of atomic weapons against non-nuclear strike Defense News6/2/20 President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday endorsed Russia’s nuclear deterrent policy, which allows him to use atomic weapons in response to a conventional strike targeting the nation’s critical government and military infrastructure. Multilateral Arms Control IAEA nuclear oversight grew in 2019 Arms Control Association6/2/20 The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) monitored a growing amount of nuclear material in 2019, but persistent security and political challenges prevented the agency from understanding the full scope of nuclear activities in some nations. OPINION: The postponed 2020 NPT Review Conference: A modest proposal Bulletin of Atomic Scientists – Tariq Rauf 6/2/20 On May 13, the Bulletin published a detailed and sober assessment by Robert Einhorn on the situation regarding the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and its review conference, originally scheduled to begin April 27, 2020 but postponed to next year due to the coronavirus pandemic. OPINION: Begin with New START, not a new arms race Arms Control Association – Daryl Kimball 6/2/20 Three and a half years since taking office, the Trump administration has failed to develop, let alone pursue, a coherent nuclear arms control strategy. OPINION: Has the United States abandoned arms control? War on the Rocks – Josuha Rovner 6/2/20 “This is insane.” So declared former CIA Director Michael Hayden on hearing the news last week that President Donald Trump was considering pulling out of the Open Skies Treaty.