Top News Air Force deploys B-52 missiles that could disable military electronics with high-power microwaves Military & Aerospace Electronics Trump Administration’s Mixed Signals on Iran Fuel Turmoil RealClearPolitics Nuclear Weapons Are Getting Less Predictable, and More Dangerous Defense One U.S. Nuclear News US Army’s missile defense radar program advances into prototype competition Defense News05/16/2019 The U.S. Army’s competition for a new air and missile defense radar has begun with the release of a request for proposals asking for prototypes. Air Force deploys B-52 missiles that could disable military electronics with high-power microwaves Military & Aerospace Electronics5/17/2019 The U.S. Air Force has deployed at least 20 missiles that could zap the military electronics of North Korea or Iran with high-power microwaves, rendering their military capabilities virtually useless without causing any fatalities. Middle East Iran’s top diplomat presses efforts to save nuclear deal The Washington Post5/17/2019 Iran’s foreign minister traveled Friday to China on his Asian tour aimed at keeping world markets open to Tehran amid an intense sanctions campaign from the U.S. as tensions across the Persian Gulf remain high. Trump Administration’s Mixed Signals on Iran Fuel Turmoil RealClearPolitics5/17/2019 Deep frustration over the Trump administration’s mixed messages on Iran erupted into public view this week amid growing concern in Washington about a military clash between the U.S. and Tehran – a conflict President Trump has said he doesn’t want but won’t rule out. Opinion/Analysis/Commentary Nuclear Weapons Are Getting Less Predictable, and More Dangerous Defense OnePatrick Tucker 5/16/2019 On Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met his counterpart, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, to discuss, among many things, the prospect of a new, comprehensive nuclear-weapons treaty with Russia and China. At the same time, the Pentagon is developing a new generation of nuclear weapons to keep up with cutting-edge missiles and warheads coming out of Moscow. If the administration fails in its ambitious renegotiation, the world is headed toward a new era of heightened nuclear tension not seen in decades. Could the U.S. Live With a Nuclear North Korea? World Politics ReviewBonnie Jenkins 5/17/2019 The long-standing goal of U.S. policy on North Korea has been the “complete, verifiable and irreversible” dismantling of its nuclear weapons program and arsenal. While the Trump administration remains committed to pressuring North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons, the U.S. should begin to consider its policy options in the event North Korea decides to keep them. Why North Korea is Testing Missiles Again Foreign AffairsAnkit Panda, Vipin Narang 5/16/2019 In the wake of the Hanoi summit’s failure—after which North Korean officials suggested that Kim may have “lost the will to negotiate further”—Pyongyang’s renewed commitment to testing missiles certainly looks ominous, and could portend a turn back to a confrontation between the United States and North Korea. What precipitated Kim’s first ballistic missile test in almost a year and a half? Special Interest The Chernobyl Disaster May Also Have Built a Paradise WiredAdam Rogers 5/13/2019 An HBO show, which airs on Mondays, tells the story of the nuclear explosion, but some scientists think the radioactive, human-free landscape might now be a haven for plants and animals.