Defense & Military

The Pentagon has agreed to tidy up records of responses to three Obama-era reviews of its nuclear infrastructure, personnel and programs, according to the unclassified version of a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report from the fall. The three internal reports made hundreds of recommendations, but the Defense Department has done a poor job tracking which […]

The Pentagon has agreed to tidy up records of its responses to three Obama-era reviews of its nuclear infrastructure, personnel and programs, according to the unclassified version of a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report from the fall. The three internal reports made hundreds of recommendations, but the Defense Department has done a poor job tracking […]

The defense industrial base is considered part of the United States’ critical infrastructure by the Department of Homeland Security, and as such has a “special responsibility” to maintain normal work schedules amid the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, according to a memo written March 20 by the Pentagon’s top weapons buyer. In the memo, Undersecretary of Defense […]

Someone at Minot Air Force Base, home to a missile wing that operates nuclear-armed intercontinental ballistic missiles, tested positive for COVID-19, according to an announcement this week. “There is 1 positive case of COVID-19 of an adult, non-military member on base,” Minot stated Wednesday on its official Twitter account. “[B]ase leadership has declared a public health […]

There are no confirmed cases of COVID-19 among U.S. nuclear forces, and fewer than 50 people supporting that interservice group are self-quarantining because of possible exposure during the global pandemic, the head of U.S. Strategic Command said Tuesday. “[W]e have zero people in STRATCOM headquarters or in the components that have tested positive, so I […]

Defense Secretary Mark Esper has formally nominated Pacific Air Forces Commander Gen. Charles “CQ” Brown to become the Air Force’s next chief of staff. If confirmed, Brown would become the first African-American chief of staff for any of the U.S. military services. The Wall Street Journal first reported Brown’s impending nomination Monday, with a Defense Department release […]

The Air Force will not be affected in fiscal 2021 if Congress approves the White House’s plan to short the Pentagon budget by $2.5 billion to increase spending at the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) by 25%, the service’s chief of staff said Wednesday. “The $2.5 [billion] didn’t have an impact on the Air Force, ” […]

Defense Secretary Mark Esper has formally nominated Pacific Air Forces Commander Gen. Charles “CQ” Brown to become the Air Force’s next chief of staff. If confirmed, Brown would become the first African-American chief of staff for any of the U.S. military services. The Wall Street Journal first reported Brown’s impending nomination Monday, with a Defense Department release […]

In light of the nation’s focus on high-end threats and near-peer adversaries following release of the 2018 National Defense Strategy (NDS), the Air Force is taking a new look at its requirements, including the number of B-21 stealth bombers it will need, according to service officials. Will Roper, the Air Force’s head of acquisition and […]

WASHINGTON — The commander of U.S. nuclear forces would not be drawn into a discussion on details of the planned W93 sea-based warhead in an open hearing Thursday, stoically deflecting questions from a curious lawmaker and declaring the planned weapon makes him “proud to be an American.” “I think that is one of those things […]

Complications with two nuclear-weapon refurbishment programs might delay production of new intercontinental ballistic missile fuses at the Kansas City National Security Campus by more than a year, Pentagon budget documents show. The Air Force will need 10 months longer than expected, 41 months total, to purchase long-lead parts for the the ICBM Fuze Modernization program: […]

An Air Force three-star general has been nominated to become the deputy commander of U.S. Strategic Commander, Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Monday. Lt. Gen. Thomas Bussiere currently serves as commander of the Alaskan Command at U.S. Northern Command, as well as the commander of the 11th Air Force at Pacific Air Forces, and commander of […]

An article in the Jan. 10 issue of Nuclear Security & Deterrence Monitor, “Pit TRU Waste Would Take Up Half of Available WIPP Space Over 50 Years, NNSA Says,” should have said remarks by Todd Shrader of the Department of Energy’s Office of Environmental Management were delivered in June 2018.

An Air Force three-star general has been nominated to become the deputy commander of U.S. Strategic Commander, Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Monday. Lt. Gen. Thomas Bussiere currently serves as commander of the Alaskan Command at U.S. Northern Command, as well as the commander of the 11th Air Force at Pacific Air Forces, and commander of […]

Nuclear Security & Deterrence Monitor will not be published on Friday, Dec. 27, in observance of the Christmas holiday. Look for the next issue in your inbox on Friday, Jan. 3, 2020.

NS&D Monitor was thankful to get a couple days off for the holiday during the week of Nov. 25, but nuclear news continued to pour in like gravy. Collected below are a few of the tastier leftovers from the short week.   Energy Dept. Still Struggling With Cybersecurity, IG Finds The U.S. National Nuclear Security […]

The U.S. Air Force is still sticking to its plan to build 100 B-21 Raider strategic bombers, but if it does need to procure more, it should be able to boost production without renegotiating the contract with Northrop Grumman, Air Force Materiel Command Chief Gen. Arnold Bunch told reporters recently. “We’ve got the contract structured […]

U.S. Air Force Gen. John Hyten is scheduled to officially turn over command of U.S. Strategic Command to Navy Vice Adm. Charles Richard next week. The change of command ceremony is to take place Nov. 18, following a dedication ceremony for STRATCOM’s new command and control facility at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb., according to […]

Dan Leone and Vivienne Machi WASHINGTON — Questionable “competence” within U.S. Air Force procurement ranks helped turn a competition to build a fleet of next-generation nuclear ballistic missiles into a one-horse race, the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee said here Wednesday. Proposals to build and deploy the Ground-Based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD), silo-based missiles […]

WASHINGTON — Questionable “competence” within U.S. Air Force procurement ranks helped turn a competition to build a fleet of next-generation nuclear ballistic missiles into a one-horse race, the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee said here Wednesday. Proposals to build and deploy the Ground-Based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD), silo-based missiles designed to replace the nuclear-tipped […]

U.S. Air Force Gen. John Hyten will officially turn over command of U.S. Strategic Command to Navy Vice Adm. Charles Richard on Nov. 18. The change of command ceremony will take place following a dedication ceremony for STRATCOM’s new command and control facility at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb., according to a press release. Hyten […]

The U.S. Senate on Thursday confirmed Navy Vice Adm. Charles Richard to become the next commander of U.S. Strategic Command. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) secured consent for confirmation en bloc of all nominations to the armed forces, including Charles. Charles currently serves as Navy commander for Submarine Forces, Submarine Force Atlantic, and Allied […]

Raytheon on Thursday reported strong third quarter financial results driven by higher sales across its defense segments and improved operating performance and the company increased its outlook for the top and bottom lines this year. Net income soared 34% to $860 million, $3.08 earnings per share (EPS), from $644 million ($2.25 EPS) a year ago, topping […]

By Calvin Biesecker A review initiated this month by antitrust regulators into Northrop Grumman’s compliance with terms of the government’s approval last year of the acquisition of Orbital ATK isn’t expected to impact the Air Force’s acquisition plans for a new strategic nuclear missile system, the company’s top executive said Thursday. Northrop Grumman, in its third-quarter […]

The Air Force’s next-generation nuclear bomber is winding its way through production, but don’t expect to see it flying until December 2021 at the earliest, the service’s rapid capabilities office (RCO) director said Oct. 24. The service has its first B-21 Raider test jet moving through production at prime contractor Northrop Grumman’s facilities in Palmdale, […]

Navy Vice Adm. Charles Richard, the Donald Trump administration’s nominee to lead U.S. Strategic Command, on Thursday told the Senate Armed Services Committee that there are “issues” with the National Nuclear Security Administration’s (NNSA) plan to produce 80 new nuclear weapon cores a year by 2030. “That requirement is sound,” Richard said, but “there are […]

The U.S. Air Force has pulled the plug nearly a year early on Boeing’s contract to mature technology for the next generation of silo-based, nuclear-tipped intercontinental ballistic missiles, the company said this week. This is another setback for the incumbent on the current Minuteman III missile fleet, which hoped the remaining year of work on […]

Lockheed Martin on Tuesday posted strong third-quarter financial results driven by gains in three of its reporting segments and the company raised its earnings guidance for the year due to a tax benefit. Net income increased 9 percent to $1.6 billion, $5.66 earnings per share (EPS), from $1.5 billion ($5.14 EPS) a year ago, torching consensus […]

The Senate Armed Services Committee on Thursday will hold its confirmation hearing for the Navy’s top submarine official to become the next leader of U.S. Strategic Command (STRATCOM). Vice. Adm. Charles Richard assumed his current duties in August 2018 as commander of Submarine Forces, commander of Submarine Force Atlantic, and commander of Allied Submarine Command. In […]

All of the U.S. military services officially have a permanent leader for the first time since May as the Senate on Wednesday voted to confirm Barbara Barrett as Air Force secretary. The Senate confirmed Barrett by a vote of 85-7. Senators who voted no include Senate Armed Services Committee members Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Tammy Duckworth […]