Top News Coronavirus Is Idling North Korea’s Ships, Achieving What Sanctions Did Not New York Times U.S. set to upgrade controversial nukes stationed in Germany DW Russian Baltic Fleet’s Iskander missile systems eliminate enemy targets in drills TASS United States U.S. set to upgrade controversial nukes stationed in Germany DW3/26/20 Viewed from above, the fields surrounding Büchel air base stretch out like a greenish-brown patchwork quilt, punctuated by the small villages and woodlands that make up the Eifel region in western Germany. Systems Face Sustainment Challenges, and Actions Are Needed to Effectively Monitor Efforts to Improve the Enterprise GAO3/26/20 The Department of Defense (DOD) continues to make progress in implementing recommendations to improve the nuclear enterprise. East Asia Coronavirus Is Idling North Korea’s Ships, Achieving What Sanctions Did Not New York Times3/26/20 President Trump has called the coronavirus “the invisible enemy.” But when it comes to sanctions on North Korea, the pathogen may turn out to be his administration’s most effective ally. Middle East New tensions between Iran and the IAEA threaten the JCPOA Atlantic Council3/26/20 Earlier this March, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) released two reports regarding Iran and the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), commonly known as the Iran nuclear deal. Russia and Europe Russian Baltic Fleet’s Iskander missile systems eliminate enemy targets in drills TASS3/26/20 The teams of Iskander-M tactical missile systems from the missile formation of the Baltic Fleet’s army corps eliminated a notional enemy’s facilities during scheduled drills, the Fleet’s press office reported on Thursday. Russia’s latest S-500 anti-aircraft missile system at final stage of trials TASS3/26/20 The integral parts of Russia’s next-generation S-500 Triumphant-M anti-aircraft missile system are at the final stage of their trials, CEO of the Design Bureau of Special Machine-Building (part of Almaz-Antey defense manufacturer) Vladimir Dolbenkov said in an interview with the National Defense magazine on Thursday. Russia completes upgrade of facilities for serial production of Sarmat ICBMs TASS3/25/20 Russia has completed the upgrade of its capacities for the serial production of Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said in the upper house of Russia’s parliament on Wednesday. Russia to speed up testing of hypersonic missile Tsirkon TASS3/25/20 Russia will speed up test launches of the hypersonic missile Tsirkon from naval ships: launches from submarines will begin in 2020 to proceed in parallel with launches from the frigate The Admiral Gorshkov, two sources in the defense-industrial complex have said. South Asia OPINION: Dynamics of Escalation in South Asia and Pakistan’s Nuclear Threshold Modern DiplomacyHaris Bilal Malik 3/26/20 The South Asian region has always been regarded vulnerable to military escalation based on its ever-changing complex security dynamics and volatile relations between India and Pakistan. Multilateral Arms Control OPINION: When COVID-19 Delays a Nuclear Non-Proliferation Conference, Is There a Silver Lining? StanfordRose Gottemoeller 3/26/20 On March 24, the United Nations let it be known that the Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference is “likely to be postponed” because of the coronavirus pandemic.