The Sentinel ICBM remains affordable – because context matters
Adam Lowther and Curtis McGiffin argue in this op-ed that added context is needed before deciding that the Sentinel ICBM is too expensive.
America’s newest nuclear warhead will cost under $100M to produce, budget docs show
The B61-13, announced in October, seeks to create a higher-yield nuclear bomb that can be used to penetrate hardened enemy locations.
UK admits Trident nuclear missile ‘anomaly’ caused test misfire, dismisses rocket booster reports
Despite a resolute defense of Trident by the UK MoD, the latest misfire will likely raise questions about the stability of the UK nuclear deterrent.
From Russia with nukes? Sifting facts from speculation about space weapon threat
"Nuclear weapons in space are a really, really dumb idea," said Jessica West of Canadian non-profit Ploughshares, but experts note that with Russia, nothing can ever be fully ruled out.
Russia’s nyet to White House offer bodes ill for nuclear arms treaty
Russia's stance will need to be "baked into" Biden administration "thinking as we look at our own nuclear modernization, our own deterrence measures that we may want to take, and what the security environment could look like after 2026," said White House arms control advisor Pranay Vaddi.
US to introduce new nuclear gravity bomb design: B61-13
The new warhead variant is needed to provide “additional options against certain harder and large-area military targets,” according to the Pentagon.
New Pentagon report details China’s growing nuclear arsenal, possible new missile effort
“What we'd really like to see is for them to be more transparent about their nuclear buildup, and also to see some greater willingness on their part to discuss these strategic stability and risk reduction issues with us,” a senior US defense official said.
NORTHCOM nominee backs ‘look at’ potential changes to homeland missile defense rules
Russia since this spring has been using both newly minted cruise missiles and even hypersonic missiles in its war to annex Ukraine.
White House pushes P-5 agreement on missile launch notification, prods China to talk
Of military to military relations with China, the US is "ready to talk when you're ready to talk," White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said today in a speech to the Arms Control Association.
S. Korea, US nuclear agreement big ‘first step,’ but might not curb long-term nuclear aspirations
"These announcements move from extended deterrence to a new level of nuclear power sharing. South Korea [now] has a serious voice in nuclear planning," regional expert Patrick Cronin told Breaking Defense.
Air Force seeks industry input for next-gen ICBM reentry vehicle
The new reentry vehicle will be mounted on the Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile, with the goal of awarding a contract in fiscal 2026.
DoD rejiggers $96 billion Sentinel ICBM program to minimize delay
As officials described how they'll spend billions on America's nuclear arsenal and presented rosy outlooks, California's Rep. John Garamendi retorted, "The fact of the matter is every single one of these systems are behind schedule and over budget, every single one of them."
Sentinel ICBM ‘on track’ for flight test this year: Senior USAF official
According to the Congressional Research Service, due to its modular design and increased throw weight, the Sentinel ICBM could be equipped "with two or three warheads to meet the international security environment."
Australian Greens press Labor over nuclear weapons, as AUKUS decision looms
An AUKUS announcement is "imminent," Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles said. "We're in conversation with both the UK and the US around the manner in which that is ultimately announced."
Give Trump A Chance: NSC Staffer Pledges Thoughtful Strategy
WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump has shaken this staid capital city by making policy pronouncements over Twitter. Far from the social media spotlight, however, Trump’s National Security Council, led by warrior-intellectual H.R. McMaster, is coordinating a comprehensive series of policy reviews that are deliberative, collegial and strategic, NSC staffer Christopher Ford said today. The new North […]