Top News Russia says U.S. nuclear accusation is an attack on global arms control Reuters Canada The U.S. Expects China Will Quickly Double Its Nuclear Stockpile Time Here’s an inside look at the US military’s ‘doomsday plane’ – which can endure the aftermath of a nuke blast CNBC U.S. Nuclear News Russia says U.S. nuclear accusation is an attack on global arms control Reuters Canada5/30/2019 Russia’s ambassador to the United States on Thursday said a U.S. allegation that Moscow may be conducting banned nuclear tests was a calculated attempt to undermine nuclear arms control, Russian state television reported. The U.S. Officially Begins Building Its New Missile Submarine Popular Mechanics5/29/2019 A U.S. shipyard has cut first steel for the first in a new class of nuclear-powered ballistic missiles submarines. Huntington Ingalls Industries has begun construction of USS Columbia, lead ship of the class set to enter service in 2031. Columbia (illustrated in the above image) and her sister ships will form the seaborne leg of the so-called U.S. nuclear triad, sailing the oceans of the world undetected for months at a time to form a powerful deterrent against surprise nuclear attack. Pentagon hits pause on redesign of critical homeland missile defense component Defense News5/29/2019 The Pentagon has decided to halt development of a redesigned kill vehicle for its Ground-Based Midcourse Defense System. The GMD system has seen several successful tests in recent years but will require a more reliable exoatmospheric kill vehicle as more ground-based interceptors for the GMD system are built. East Asia The U.S. Expects China Will Quickly Double Its Nuclear Stockpile Time5/29/2019 China is expected to increase its nuclear weapons stockpile by twofold in the coming decade, according to a new U.S. military intelligence assessment, part of a sweeping build-up of Beijing’s strategic arsenal. U.S. and China Defense Chiefs to Meet in Singapore Foreign Policy5/30/2019 U.S.-China relations will likely dominate the conversation at this year’s forum, which brings together defense ministers and military chiefs from 28 countries. Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan, on a longer Asia tour that includes stops in Indonesia, South Korea, and Japan, is expected to meet with his Chinese counterpart on the sidelines of the event, according to multiple news outlets. Other topics will likely include North Korean missile tests and cybersecurity. Japan, Russia Agree To Continue Cooperating on North Korea Denuclearization – Kono UrduPoint5/30/2019 Japan and Russia have agreed to continue cooperating on North Korea’s denuclearization, Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono said Thursday after 2+2 talks of Russian and Japanese defense and foreign ministers. Opinion/Analysis/Commentary Trump Is Driving Iran into Russia’s Arms Foreign PolicyReese Erlich 5/29/2019 U.S. sanctions won’t necessarily isolate Tehran. They could spur new strategic alliances. Are U.S. Submarines Vulnerable? RealClearDefensePeter Pry 5/30/2019 Anything that threatens the survivability of U.S. submarines on patrol at sea would fundamentally undermine U.S. nuclear deterrent credibility and could have the gravest consequences imaginable—including inviting a surprise nuclear attack. Special Interest Here’s an inside look at the US military’s ‘doomsday plane’ – which can endure the aftermath of a nuke blast CNBC5/29/2019 Affectionately known as the “doomsday plane,” the modified Boeing 747 is used to transport the secretary of Defense and is born and bred for battle. It stands nearly six stories tall, is equipped with four colossal engines, and is capable of enduring the immediate aftermath of a nuclear detonation.