Non-Proliferation

A new U.S.-Vietnam civil nuclear agreement fully entered into force last week after an exchange of diplomatic notes Oct. 3 that finalized the deal. Notably, the agreement has raised questions from some lawmakers on both sides of the aisle because it lacks legally binding restrictions on enrichment and reprocessing, known as the ‘gold standard.’ The […]

Calling the current state of the U.S.-Russia relationship “one of the worst in bilateral history, not only since the Cold War,” former Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov said the two nations should restore dialogue on the mutual disarmament of nuclear weapons. At a Monday presentation in Washington focusing on the U.S.-Russia relationship, moderator and former […]

Four vehicles designed to transport radiological materials were commissioned last week in Kazakhstan after a joint effort between the United States, the United Kingdom and Kazakhstan. The transport vehicles will help Kazakhstan meet international guidelines for protecting radiological materials in transit, the National Nuclear Security Administration said Friday. The transport vehicles were purchased thanks to […]

Brian Bradley NS&D Monitor 10/3/2014 While U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry’s speech this week at the United Nations marked the second time in two weeks that senior Obama Administration officials have advocated for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty’s entry into force while citing the need for Congressional educational outreach efforts, it remains unclear when the […]

Todd Jacobson NS&D Monitor 10/3/2014 The size of U.S. and Russian stockpiles of deployed nuclear weapons grew significantly over the last six months, according to the latest New START Treaty data released by the State Department this week. The Oct. 1 declaration reveals that the U.S. had 1,642 deployed warheads under the treaty’s counting rules […]

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Sept. 26 joined about 30 other world leaders and representatives from a total of about 90 countries at a meeting on the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) at United Nations Headquarters in New York to issue the Seventh Joint Ministerial Statement calling for the treaty’s entry into force. “Almost […]

Todd Jacobson NS&D Monitor 9/26/2014 Despite tensions between the U.S. and Russia, 53 kilograms of highly enriched uranium were returned from Poland to an undisclosed facility in Russia last week in a joint operation coordinated by the National Nuclear Security Administration, and work remains on track to complete the HEU cleanout of Poland by 2016, […]

Kenneth Fletcher NS&D Monitor 9/26/2014 As negotiations continue on an extension of the U.S. civil nuclear agreement with South Korea, the Council on Foreign Relations is recommending that the current agreement be extended until 2021 so that a study underway on proliferation risks can be taken into account. Congress earlier this year passed a two-year […]

Deinventory of Y-12 Area 5 Underway NS&D Monitor 9/26/2014 The National Nuclear Security Administration has acknowledged that activities underway to reduce the inventory of highly enriched uranium inside production facilities at the Y-12 National Security Complex are part of the response to the Red Team report released earlier this year. “The de-inventory of Area 5 […]

Despite tensions between the U.S. and Russia, 53 kilograms of highly enriched uranium was returned from Poland to an undisclosed facility in Russia last week in a joint operation coordinated by the National Nuclear Security Administration and work remains on track to complete the HEU cleanout of Poland by 2016, the NNSA said yesterday. The […]

Brian Bradley NS&D Monitor 9/19/2014 The Obama Administration continues to plan to for U.S. ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty, although getting enough Republican support for ratification remains an uphill battle, senior Administration officials said this week. In remarks at a conference hosted by the U.S. Institute of Peace, Under Secretary of State for […]

NNSA Asks DOE IG to Investigate Case of Fired LANL Nonprolif. Expert NS&D Monitor 9/19/2014 National Nuclear Security Administration chief Frank Klotz is asking the Department of Energy’s Inspector General to look into whether a Los Alamos National Laboratory nonproliferation expert was fired based on an the publication of a pro-nuclear abolition article. DOE has […]

National Nuclear Security Administration chief Frank Klotz is asking the Department of Energy’s Inspector General to look into whether a Los Alamos National Laboratory nonproliferation expert was fired based on an the publication of a pro-nuclear abolition article. DOE has rejected Jim Doyle’s whistleblower claims and his appeal for a secretarial review of his case […]

Top Obama Administration officials are continuing to push for U.S. ratification of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), although getting enough Republican support for ratification remains an uphill battle. Under Secretary of State for Arms Control Rose Gottemoeller, speaking at the “Nuclear Weapons Testing: History, Progress, Challenges” conference hosted by the United States Institute of […]

U.S. ratification of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty is unlikely in the near future, according to Amb. Thomas Graham, a leading expert on nuclear non-proliferation and former special representative of the president of the United States for arms control, non-proliferation and disarmament from 1994-1997. During a Friday talk entitled “Ending Nuclear Explosive Testing” at George […]

Todd Jacobson NS&D Monitor 9/12/2014 U.S. and Russian officials made no progress in talks late this week about accusations that Russia has violated the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, according to a statement from the U.S. State Department. The U.S. delegation, led by Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Rose Gottemoeller, traveled […]

Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Rose Gottemoeller will travel to Moscow Thursday to lead a U.S. delegation in talks about U.S. claims that Russia has violated the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty. U.S. accusations center on the R-500 ground-based cruise missile, and it has asked Russia to destroy all missiles and […]

Brian Bradley NS&D Monitor 9/5/2014 Three former generals are advocating continued U.S. compliance to the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty despite allegations that Russia violated the agreement by testing its R-500 cruise missile. The INF Treaty prohibits ground-launched cruise and ballistic missiles with ranges from 500 to 5,000 kilometers. In a piece published last week  in […]

Brian Bradley NS&D Monitor 8/29/2014 Northrop Grumman has been awarded a sole-source contract modification that will assist the United States SSBN program in becoming New START compliant. The Defense Department Monday announced a $7.6 million addition to a $113-million firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-incentive-fee/cost-plus-fixed-fee contract awarded to Northrop Grumman in December. Part of a larger effort to improve […]

FAS Pushes for Reinstatement of LANL Scientist NS&D Monitor 8/29/2014 The Federation of American Scientists is calling on Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz to reinstate Los Alamos nonproliferation analyst James Doyle, who was fired earlier this summer in retaliation for a report advocating a world without nuclear weapons. In an Aug. 21 letter to Moniz, FAS […]

The Federation of American Scientists is calling on Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz to reinstate Los Alamos nonproliferation analyst James Doyle, who was fired earlier this summer in retaliation for a report advocating a world without nuclear weapons. In an Aug. 21 letter to Moniz released Friday, FAS President Charles Ferguson said Doyle’s firing “represents an […]

Todd Jacobson NS&D Monitor 8/22/2014 LA VISTA, Neb.—Rose Gottemoeller, the Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security, last week dismissed a call for the United States to withdraw from the New START Treaty in response to alleged Russian Violations of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty as “crazy.” Gottemoeller addressed U.S. Strategic Command’s […]

Todd Jacobson NS&D Monitor 8/22/2014 LA VISTA, Neb.—Tensions involving Russia’s invasion of Ukraine have “tamped down” talk of arms control, disarmament and nonproliferation among United States allies at NATO, according to a senior NATO official. Speaking at U.S. Strategic Command’s Deterrence Symposium last week, Fred Frederickson, the director of the Nuclear Policy Division on the […]

Brian Bradley NS&D Monitor 8/22/2014 Contractors on Aug. 5 demolished the last 10 of 50 deactivated Minuteman III silos previously operated by the 564th Missile Squadron at Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana to comply with the New START Treaty, Global Strike Command said. The dismantlement comes two months after workers finished reconfiguring the multi-headed […]

Todd Jacobson NS&D Monitor 8/22/2014 A bipartisan group of 26 Senators remains upset with the Obama Administration’s commitment to nuclear nonproliferation and is asking the Administration to request more funding for nuclear security work in Fiscal Year 2016. Led by Sens. Diane Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), the Senators criticized the Administration for reducing […]

A bipartisan group of 26 Senators remains upset with the Obama Adminstration’s commitment to nuclear nonproliferation and is asking the Administration to request more funding for nuclear security work in Fiscal Year 2016. Led by Sens. Diane Feinstein (D-Calif.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), the Senators criticized the Administration for reducing nonproliferation funds in recent years […]

Rose Gottemoeller, the Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security, last week dismissed a call for the United States to withdraw from the New START Treaty in response to alleged Russian Violations of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty as “crazy.” Gottemoeller addressed U.S. Strategic Command’s annual Deterrence Symposium Aug. 14, highlighting the […]

Tensions involving Russia’s invasion of Ukraine have “tamped down” talk of arms control, disarmament and nonproliferation among United States allies at NATO, according to a senior NATO official. Speaking at U.S. Strategic Command’s Deterrence Symposium last week, Fred Frederickson, the director of the Nuclear Policy Division on the NATO International Staff, said arms control, disarmament […]

The U.S. should withdraw from the New START Treaty in response to alleged Russian violations of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, the Wall Street Journal said in an Aug. 10 editorial that implores the Obama Administration to take action against Moscow. The Journal also encouraged the Administration to restore the ground-based missile-defense interceptors it shelved […]

Mike Nartker and Todd Jacobson WC Monitor 8/1/2014 AIKEN, S.C.—South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley (R) this week questioned the Department of Energy’s plan to ship German nuclear material to the Savannah River Site for processing. During a visit to Savannah River, where she was accompanied by Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz and other DOE officials […]