TOP NEWS N. Korea, Russia discuss intensifying ‘strategic communications’ Yonhap News Agency Pope Francis, in Nagasaki and Hiroshima, calls for global nuclear disarmament Wall Street Journal For better or for worse: The future of C3I entanglement Nautilus Institute United States Raytheon secures $97 million Navy air & missile defense radar contract option Gov Con Wire11/25/19 Raytheon has secured a $97.3M contract modification to support production and integration of radar systems designed to protect U.S. Navy vessels against multiple threats. Russia/Europe Inside U.S. missile-defense site in Romania Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty11/25/19 The U.S. ambassador to Romania, Hans Klemm, invited counterparts from 20 NATO nations for a rare tour inside the U.S. Aegis Ashore missile-defense system in Develesu, Romania. ANALYSIS: NATO nukes can’t save the Baltic states from a Russian invasion National InterestMichael Peck 11/23/19 Even if NATO resorts to tactical nuclear weapons, it still can’t save the Baltic States from a Russian invasion. East Asia N. Korea, Russia discuss intensifying ‘strategic communications’ Yonhap News Agency11/23/19 North Korean First Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son-hui, considered a key nuclear strategist of leader Kim Jong-un, has met with a senior Russian diplomat and discussed the need for “strategic communications and cooperation” between the two countries, the North’s state media said Saturday. Nuclear non-proliferation group vows to work to achieve North Korea’s denuclearization Japan Times11/23/19 Foreign ministers from a coalition of non-nuclear weapons states pledged Saturday to work in tandem to achieve North Korea’s denuclearization, as the country’s negotiations with the United States have been at a stalemate. North Korea says U.S. responsible if diplomacy over Korea peninsula breaks down Reuters11/22/19 The United States will be held responsible if the opportunity for diplomacy over the Korean peninsula issue is lost, North Korea’s vice foreign minister was quoted as saying by the South’s Yonhap news agency on Friday. ANALYSIS: North Korea goes nuclear: A post-mortem Japan TimesDenny Roy 11/24/19 After two years of essentially fruitless negotiations with Pyongyang, it seems justifiable to conclude that the era of North Korea acquiring nuclear-armed missiles has ended and given way to the era of North Korea as a permanent, de facto nuclear weapons state. ANALYSIS: Trump must hang tough on North Korea The HillLawrence J. Haas 11/23/19 With Pyongyang demanding that Washington reverse its policy toward North Korea before any resumption of nuclear talks, President Donald Trump needs to maintain a hardline U.S. posture toward the North’s growing nuclear weapons program and resist temptations to offer more unilateral concessions. Multilateral Arms Control Pope Francis, in Nagasaki and Hiroshima, calls for global nuclear disarmament Wall Street Journal11/24/19 Pope Francis called on nations with nuclear bombs to abandon them, even for deterrence, and warned of a new arms race from an erosion of multilateral agreements controlling weapons of mass destruction. Command, Control, Communication, and Intelligence (C3I) For better or for worse: The future of C3I entanglement Nautilus InstituteJames Acton 11/21/19 Because a number of C3I assets are dual-use, such attacks would degrade the target’s nuclear command-and-control system, creating serious risks of inadvertent escalation.