Non-Proliferation

Russia has over 100 more strategic nuclear warheads deployed than it had at this time last year, according to the latest data shared by the State Department from the recently renewed New START Nuclear Arms Control Treaty. On Feb. 3, the U.S. and Russia officially extended New START until Feb. 5, 2026. The Joe Biden […]

Last decade’s bipartisan consensus, that arms-control diplomacy and the refurbishment of the nuclear arsenal should walk hand-in-hand, does not exist anymore, according to a former Republican Senator who helped forge the consensus. “Right now, we do not have the consensus that ostensibly existed back in 2010,” former Sen. John Kyl (R-Ariz.) said this week during […]

Last decade’s bipartisan consensus, that arms-control diplomacy and the refurbishment of the nuclear arsenal should walk hand-in-hand, does not exist anymore, according to a former Republican Senator who helped forge the consensus. “Right now, we do not have the consensus that ostensibly existed back in 2010,” former Sen. John Kyl (R-Ariz.) said Wednesday during a […]

Russia has over 100 more strategic nuclear warheads deployed than it had at this time last year, according to the latest data shared by the State Department from the recently renewed New START Nuclear Arms Control Treaty. On Feb. 3, the U.S. and Russia officially extended New START until Feb. 5, 2026. The Joe Biden […]

The U.S. and Iran planned no meeting at deadline about whether to let Washington back in to the politically binding Iran nuclear deal, though U.N. inspectors did clinch a last-minute technical understanding with the Islamic Republic to preserve some record keeping about Tehran’s controversial nuclear program. On Thursday, State Department spokesman Ned Price said the […]

A last-minute technical understanding with Iran over the weekend will preserve international record keeping about the country’s controversial nuclear program over the next three months, but little else, the head of the U.N.’s nuclear watchdog said in a webcast Tuesday. “We got a temporary, technical, bilateral understanding,” Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic […]

The New START nuclear arms-control treaty is officially extended through Feb. 5, 2026, giving the U.S. time to pursue more arms control agreements with Russia, and possibly with China, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said this week in a press release. “The United States will use the time provided by a five-year extension of the […]

The New START nuclear arms-control treaty is officially extended through Feb. 5, 2026, giving the U.S. time to pursue more arms control agreements with Russia, and possibly with China, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said Wednesday in a press release. “The United States will use the time provided by a five-year extension of the New […]

Moscow this week approved an official request by the U.S. to extend the New START nuclear arms control treaty with the Russian federation for five years. The U.S. officially proposed an extension on Tuesday after the Joe Biden administration telegraphed the move last week. “On behalf of the United States of America, the Embassy proposes […]

The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists kept their metaphorical Doomsday Clock at 100 seconds to midnight on Wednesday, citing development of hypersonic weapons, missile defense systems and dual-use weapons-delivery systems over the past 12 months, the dove-ish, Chicago-based group said during its annual clock unveiling. “By our estimation, the potential for the world to stumble into […]

The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists kept their metaphorical Doomsday Clock at 100 seconds to midnight on Wednesday, citing development of hypersonic weapons, missile defense systems and dual-use weapons-delivery systems over the past 12 months, the dove-ish, Chicago-based group said during its annual clock unveiling. “By our estimation, the potential for the world to stumble into […]

Moscow on Wednesday approved an official request by the U.S. to extend the New START nuclear arms control treaty with the Russian federation for five years, media reported. The U.S. officially proposed an extension on Tuesday after the Joe Biden administration telegraphed the move last week. “On behalf of the United States of America, the […]

President Joe Biden wants to extend the New START nuclear arms control treaty between the U.S. and Russia for five years, his press secretary confirmed Thursday.  “The United States intends to seek a five-year extension of New START,” Biden’s press secretary, Jennifer Psaki, said during a Thursday briefing at the White House. “The president has […]

A pair of think-tanks are pushing a combination of machine learning and open-source data as a way to generate more leads on potential nuclear proliferation and said Tuesday that a recent pilot project shows the technique “could save hundreds of analyst hours” if put into practice by the government. That was the claim in a […]

Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall is officially headed to the National Security Council, ending for now any prospects of a return to the Department of Energy, where the nonproliferation and weapons-of-mass-destruction policy hand was second-in-command during the Obama administration. The Biden transition team officially announced the move Wednesday, which media had reported earlier. Sherwood-Randall will be homeland security […]

Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall is officially headed to the National Security Council, ending for now any prospects of a return to the Department of Energy, where the nonproliferation and weapons-of-mass-destruction policy hand was second-in-command during the Obama administration. The Biden transition team officially announced the move Wednesday, which media had reported earlier. Sherwood-Randall will be homeland security […]

A pair of think-tanks are pushing a combination of machine learning and open-source data as a way to generate more leads on potential nuclear proliferation and said Tuesday that a recent pilot project shows the technique “could save hundreds of analyst hours” if put into practice by the government. That was the claim in a […]

Nuclear Regulatory Commission veteran Mirela Gavrilas replaced Brian Holian as director of the Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response on Dec. 31. The office leads the NRC effort to safeguard nuclear plants from foreign attacks in conjunction with the Department of Homeland Security, law enforcement and other agencies through methods like force-on-force inspections — […]

Nuclear Regulatory Commission veteran Mirela Gavrilas will replace Brian Holian as director of the Office of Nuclear Security and Incident Response on Dec. 31. The office leads the NRC effort to safeguard nuclear plants from foreign attacks in conjunction with the Department of Homeland Security, law enforcement and other agencies through methods like force-on-force inspections […]

The National Nuclear Security Administration is preparing a final environmental review for its new plutonium disposal program at the Savannah River Site, but not the thorough review a National Academies panel recommended earlier this year, the agency announced Wednesday. The semiautonomous Department of Energy nuclear weapons agency published its notice of intent to do an environmental […]

The National Nuclear Security Administration is preparing a final environmental review for its new plutonium disposal program at the Savannah River Site, but not the thorough review a National Academies panel recommended earlier this year, the agency announced Wednesday. The semiautonomous Department of Energy nuclear weapons agency published its notice of intent to do an […]

Russia would still do a deal with the Donald Trump Administration to extend the New START nuclear arms-control treaty, but a five year extension would be best, because negotiating a follow-on treaty will be very difficult, the Russian ambassador said this week in a webcast hosted by a D.C. think tank. “If anybody can call […]

Russia would still do a deal with the Donald Trump Administration to extend the New START nuclear arms-control treaty, but a five year extension would be best, because negotiating a follow-on treaty will be very difficult, the Russian ambassador said Wednesday in a webcast hosted by a D.C. think tank. “If anybody can call me […]

Amid the public whipsaw of New START nuclear-arms negotiations between Washington and Moscow, Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, offered to limit deployment of land-based intermediate range missiles near the European border. Putin on Monday morning offered refrain from deploying the 9M729 missile near Europe if the U.S. would agree to reciprocal steps, including allowing inspections […]

Here’s this week’s collection of quick-hit news about, and with implications for, U.S. nuclear security and the nuclear security enterprise. The Department of Energy’s Office of Enterprise Assessments will soon investigate “the introduction of unauthorized electronic equipment (Panasonic pan-tilt-zoom cameras) into security areas for over two years and the potential unauthorized disclosure of classified information […]

Amid the public whipsaw of New START nuclear-arms negotiations between Washington and Moscow, Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, offered to limit deployment of land-based intermediate range missiles near the European border, media reported. Early Monday morning, Washington time, a few Russian analysts on Twitter picked up on Putin’s Russian language statement Monday morning. Putin offered […]

Later this year, the National Nuclear Security Administration will begin a formal review of its program to dispose of the 34 metric tons of plutonium once slated to be recycled into commercial reactor fuel, an agency official said. It was unclear whether the agency would heed the advice of the National Academies of Sciences and […]

Here’s this week’s collection of quick-hit news about, and with implications for, U.S. nuclear security. The National Nuclear Security Administration and Canada’s Atomic Energy of Canada Limited have signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate on nuclear safety and security, the government entities announced jointly. Brent Park, the National Nuclear Security Administration’s (NNSA) deputy administrator […]

Later this year, the National Nuclear Security Administration will begin a formal review of its program to dispose of the 34 metric tons of plutonium once slated to be recycled into commercial reactor fuel, an agency official said. It was unclear whether the agency would heed the advice of the National Academies of Sciences and […]

The Russian Federation on Tuesday appeared to offer a one-year extension of the New START nuclear arms-limitation treaty with the U.S., as long as a politically binding, bilateral warhead freeze is the only condition of such an extension, according to a statement posted online by the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.  The ministry posted a […]