Top News Poll: Americans Want To Stay in Nuclear Arms Control Agreements Defense One Raytheon discloses future lasers that can stop hypersonic missiles Defence Blog The U.S.’s Aging ‘Nuclear Coffin’ Is an Ecological Disaster Waiting to Happen Popular Mechanics U.S. Nuclear News Poll: Americans Want To Stay in Nuclear Arms Control Agreements Defense One5/20/2019 As the Pentagon prepares to spend about a half trillion dollars over a decade on new nuclear weapons, a new poll suggests that the public favors a more constrained nuclear posture and is growing more skeptical of weapons that are in the U.S. arsenal already. A majority of respondents also favored restraining the president from launching a nuclear strike before seeking congressional approval. House Panel Rejects Space Force Defense One5/20/2019 A key House panel has rejected the Trump administration’s plan to create Space Force, a sixth branch of the U.S. military focused on orbital operations. Raytheon discloses future lasers that can stop hypersonic missiles Defence Blog5/21/2019 Video posted on U.S. Defense contractor Raytheon’s Twitter account, appear to show future laser weapon systems that that can stop enemy hypersonic missiles. General Dynamics awarded $497M for support of U.S. Navy’s fleet of Columbia, Virginia submarines Defence Blog5/21/2019 General Dynamics Electric Boat (GDEB) from Connecticut has been awarded a $497 million modification to a previously-awarded contract for future Columbia-class ballistic missile submarines. Middle East Iran refuses Trump’s offer of talks unless US shows ‘respect’ CNN5/21/2019 Iran’s Foreign Minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, has said his country won’t negotiate with President Donald Trump unless the US shows Tehran “respect” by honoring its commitments under the disputed nuclear deal. Turkey Says It Now Plans on Manufacturing Russia’s S-500 Air Defense System The Drive5/20/2019 Turkish President Recep Erdogan says his country will cooperate on the production of Russia’s S-500 surface-to-air missile system, a move that is sure to draw new criticism from the United States and its other fellow NATO members. Russia/FSU/Europe THAAD Missile Defense Systems are Coming to Russia’s Doorstep The National Interest5/21/2019 The U.S. Army has deployed to Romania one of its seven Terminal High-Altitude Area-Defense missile-interceptor batteries. The deployment coincides with a shut-down of the U.S. Aegis Ashore missile-defense site, also in Romania, for a scheduled upgrade. Opinion/Analysis/Commentary New START and the Future of U.S. National Security The Heritage FoundationMichaela Dodge 5/21/2019 The New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) between the United States and Russia is set to expire on February 5, 2021. For arms control to advance U.S. national security interests and contribute to international stability, the United States must have a willing partner who shares an objective of arms control, namely contributing to international stability. Russia is not a trustworthy partner. Absent a fundamental change in Russia’s aggressive and hostile behavior toward other countries, the extension of New START is contrary to U.S. national security interests. A Path to War With Iran Foreign AffairsPhilip H. Gordon 5/20/2019 How Washington’s Escalation Could Lead to Unintended Consequences The U.S.’s Aging ‘Nuclear Coffin’ Is an Ecological Disaster Waiting to Happen Popular MechanicsKyle Mizokami 5/20/2019 A lonely concrete dome on an uninhabited island in the central Pacific could end up being a very big headache for the U.S. Special Interest Dragons, thrones, and nukes, oh my. Bulletin of the Atomic ScientistsDan Drollette, Jr 5/17/2019 Are the dragons in Game of Thrones a metaphor for nuclear weapons? Or do they instead represent conventional air power? These are the critical questions, as the long-running series is about to embark upon its final episode this Sunday night. And two of the Bulletin‘s contributors, Timothy Westmyer (nuclear weapons) and Michael C. Horowitz (conventional air power) conducted a self-described “fun and nerdy conversation” about this burning (no pun intended) topic on Westmyer’s Super Critical Podcast—devoted to “over thinking movies about nuclear weapons with policy analysis, quasi-science, pop culture debates, and too many puns.”