Defense & Military

WASHINGTON — Peter Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s (R) intended nominee for Secretary of Defense, was questioned Tuesday by a Senate committee about his fitness for the role, including his knowledge of the U.S. nuclear weapons enterprise. Sen. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), whose state houses silos for land-based, nuclear-tipped intercontinental ballistic missiles, asked whether Hegseth, a former […]

Leaders of the House Armed Services Committee announced their subcommittee rosters for the 119th Congress this week in a joint press release. Last week, Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.), returning as the chair of the House Armed Services Committee, announced the GOP subcommittee assignments. Friday, Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.), returning ranking member of the committee, released […]

WASHINGTON — Peter Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s (R) intended nominee for Secretary of Defense, was questioned Tuesday by a Senate committee about his fitness for the role, including his knowledge of the U.S. nuclear weapons enterprise. Sen. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), whose state houses the silos for the ground-based strategic deterrent, asked whether Hegseth, a former […]

Senate Democrats on Thursday announced their rosters for the Armed Services Committee with newly-elected Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) joining the panel. Slotkin, a former U.S. representative and Pentagon official, is taking the Armed Services spot held last Congress by Sen. Joe Manchin (I-W.Va.), who did not run for reelection. The panel writes the annual National […]

A Tennessee congressman will lead the subcommittee with oversight of U.S. nuclear forces in the 119th Congress, the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee said on Tuesday. Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) chair of the House Armed Services Committee in the new Congress, announced the new appointments in a press release. Rep. Scott DesJarlais (R-Tenn.) […]

A Tennessee congressman will lead the subcommittee with oversight of U.S. nuclear forces in the 119th Congress, the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee said on Tuesday. Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) chair of the House Armed Services Committee in the new Congress, announced the new appointments in a press release. Rep. Scott DesJarlais (R-Tenn.) […]

Senate Democrats on Thursday announced their rosters for the Armed Services Committee with newly-elected Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) joining the panel. Slotkin, a former U.S. representative and Pentagon official, is taking the Armed Services spot held last Congress by Sen. Joe Manchin (I-W.Va.), who did not run for reelection. The panel writes the annual National […]

Belarus’s president Alexander Lukashenko said this week that “several dozen” Russian nuclear warheads are deployed in his country, according to state-owned news agency BELTA Tuesday. “I have brought nuclear warheads here. … Many people are writing: ‘It’s a joke. No one has moved anything anywhere.’ They have. The fact they think it’s a joke means […]

President Joe Biden (D) on Tuesday nominated Air Force Major General Mark Pye to take command of the Air Force Nuclear Systems Center in New Mexico as a lieutenant general. Pye, whose promotion requires Senate approval, is currently the director of programs at the office of the deputy chief of staff for plans and programs […]

President Joe Biden (D) on Tuesday nominated Air Force Major General Mark Pye to take command of the Air Force Nuclear Systems Center in New Mexico as a lieutenant general. Pye, whose promotion requires Senate approval, is currently the director of programs at the office of the deputy chief of staff for plans and programs […]

The National Nuclear Security Administration will conduct low-altitude helicopter flights Dec. 2-13 over downtown Washington, to detect radiation threats ahead of the 2025 presidential inauguration, the agency said in a press release. The Nuclear Energy Support Team’s (NEST) aircraft, now a Leonardo AW-139, will scan for background radiation by flying at low levels in the […]

WASHINGTON — The head of the U.S. Strategic Command told the Exchange Monitor here Tuesday he could have public conversations in the spring on the nuclear employment guidance. The report, which the Pentagon said it submitted to Congress Nov. 14, describes the U.S. nuclear employment strategy in an unclassified format. “I’ll probably have conversations in […]

The Navy last week released a request for information for a congressionally mandated, nuclear-armed sea-launched cruise missile. The Navy published the request for information Nov. 15, seeking interest and resources to support the nuclear-armed sea-launched cruise missile (SLCM-N) all up round program. Responses are due by Dec. 9. The missile will be deployed on Virginia-class […]

WASHINGTON — The head of the U.S. Strategic Command told the Exchange Monitor here Tuesday he could have public conversations in the spring on the nuclear employment guidance. The report, which the Pentagon said it submitted to Congress Nov. 14, describes the U.S. nuclear employment strategy in an unclassified format. “I’ll probably have conversations in […]

President elect Donald Trump said this week he would tap Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) as his eventual pick for Secretary of State. Rubio has advocated for a more hawkish stance on Iran in the past, gunning for more sanctions to curb the Islamic republic’s nuclear program. He has also spoken against the Iran nuclear deal […]

PanTeXas Deterrence was to take over management for the Pantex Plant on Friday, Nov. 1, completing the transition from Consolidated Nuclear Security as the prime contractor for the lab in Amarillo, Texas. Colby Yeary, the site manager for CNS at the Pantex Plant, confirmed that the transition would be complete this week when he spoke […]

WASHINGTON — Classified intelligence shows China will make more nuclear weapons than the U.S., an Air Force general said here Thursday in a public meeting. “I see a lot of intelligence at a classified level, and I’ve never seen anything that tells me they [China] intend to stop at parity. Why would they?” Lt. Gen. […]

NATIONAL HARBOR, MD — The head of the U.S. Strategic Command on Wednesday told a roomful of military personnel to produce the nuclear weapons needed to counter pressure from Russia and China. “We now have two nuclear peers,” Air Force Gen. Anthony Cotton, commander of United States Strategic Command, said in a panel on “the […]

NATIONAL HARBOR, MD — The head of the U.S. Strategic Command on Wednesday told a roomful of military personnel to produce the nuclear weapons needed to counter pressure from Russia and China. “We now have two nuclear peers,” Air Force Gen. Anthony Cotton, commander of United States Strategic Command, said in a panel on “the […]

ARLINGTON, VA. — The Northrop Grumman-led Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile program likely will get an updated cost and scheduled estimate in 1.5 to two years, an Air Force civilian official said at an industry conference here this week. The service announced in January that Sentinel had shattered projections put together in 2020 for the program’s […]

On Aug. 12, the U.S. Air Force told the Government Accountability Office that the service is canceling the potentially $12 billion Integrated Support Contract 2.0 for the Minuteman III and future nuclear-tipped, silo-based Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missiles. The service may re-examine intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) support requirements for a future contract. The Integrated Support Contract […]

Lawmakers’ $923.3 billion defense authorization bill will wait for a floor vote until after the July 4 recess, the chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee said this week. Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) told reporters after the body’s weekly policy lunches that she and other Democrats will not agree to a defense increase while other domestic […]

The Army has partnered with the Pentagon’s Defense Innovation Unit on a new effort to assess industry’s nuclear microreactor solutions, with an aim to bolster energy resilience at installations. Under the new Advanced Nuclear Power for Installations (ANPI) prototype program, the Army and Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) are seeking information on industry’s ability to provide […]

Leaders from the United States and the Republic of Korea convened in Seoul on Monday with aims to strengthen nuclear deterrence and relations between the two nations, according to a press release from the Department of Defense. The two nations met with intentions of information sharing, consulting, and joint planning and execution to extend deterrence […]

A top National Security Council official said Friday at an Arms Control Association conference  the United States will need to employ a more assertive nuclear strategy in light of the posture being taken by Russia and China. Pranay Vaddi, special assistant to President Joe Biden and senior director for arms control, disarmament, and nonproliferation at […]

Leaders from the United States and the Republic of Korea convened in Seoul on Monday with aims to strengthen nuclear deterrence and relations between the two nations, according to a press release from the Department of Defense. The two nations met with intentions of information sharing, consulting, and joint planning and execution to extend deterrence […]

A top National Security Council official said Friday at an Arms Control Association conference  the United States will need to employ a more assertive nuclear strategy in light of the posture being taken by Russia and China. In a separate speech at the same event, House Armed Services Committee member, Rep. John Garamendi (D-Calif.), said […]

The U.S. Air Force B-21 Raider stealth bomber by Northrop Grumman is exempt from a Title 10 requirement that a defense secretary seek a waiver for a low-rate initial production buy of more than 10 percent of total production for a Major Defense Acquisition Program, the Department of Defense said. The Department of the Air […]

The U.S. Air Force B-21 Raider stealth bomber by Northrop Grumman is exempt from a Title 10 requirement that a defense secretary seek a waiver for a low-rate initial production buy of more than 10 percent of total production for a Major Defense Acquisition Program, the Department of Defense said. The Department of the Air […]

The leader of U.S. Strategic Command now counts a nuclear-tipped sea-launched cruise missile among his “critical” nuclear modernization efforts, alongside a new stealth bomber, ballistic missile submarines and intercontinental ballistic missiles.  Air Force Gen. Anthony Cotton has, until Thursday, avoided specifically endorsing development of a nuclear-capable sea-launched cruise missile, or SLCM-N. He has said that […]