Vol. 21, No. 23 
Air Force Ahead of Schedule for New START Compliance, General Says
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Contracts & Procurement
Nuclear Security & Technology Files Nevada Site M&O Contract Protest
A second failed bidder has filed a protest with the Government Accountability Office (GAO) over the new management and operations contract for the Department of Energy’s Nevada National Security Site. Nuclear Security & Technology LLC, a partnership between Northrop Grumman Technical Services, AECOM subsidiary URS Federal Services, and CH2M Hill Constructors Inc., filed its protest […]
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Delivery Systems & Nuclear Triad
Lawmakers, Air Force Secretary Clash on B-21 Secrecy
Senate lawmakers on Tuesday challenged new Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson to explain the service’s secrecy regarding its B-21 nuclear bomber program. During a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Chairman John McCain (R-Ariz.) said it was “difficult to understand” why the Air Force is keeping all the B-21’s capabilities classified “under the veil […]
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Non-Proliferation
No Reductions in Trump Budget to U.S. Funding for IAEA, CTBTO
The United States’ contributions to international nuclear security and verification organizations would not be reduced under the White House’s fiscal 2018 budget proposal, despite significant proposed cuts to the overall State Department budget. A State Department official said by email this week that the United States’ voluntary contribution to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) […]
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Contracts & Procurement
MOX Contractor Says DOE Not Negotiating in Good Faith
The contractor building the Mixed Oxide Fuel Fabrication Facility in South Carolina, locked in a dispute with the federal government over the project’s future, argued the Energy Department’s failure to negotiate a contract modification “in good faith” is costing the company money. On June 1, the U.S. Civilian Board of Contract Appeals denied CB&I AREVA […]
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Budget & Policy
Budget Caps Threaten Air Force Improvements, Wilson Says
Marc Selinger Defense Daily The U.S. Air Force’s efforts to improve its readiness and modernize its capabilities will be derailed if Congress does not repeal across-the-board budget cuts that are set to return in fiscal year 2018, service Secretary Heather Wilson said June 5. Funds provided for fiscal year 2017 stopped the Air Force’s readiness […]
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Non-Proliferation
NSC Official Defends Trump Approach to Nonproliferation, Arms Control
A top National Security Council official last week reaffirmed the Donald Trump administration’s commitment to nonproliferation. Despite media reports to the contrary, Trump is committed to pursuing activities to prevent the spread of nuclear and other unconventional weapons, according to Christopher Ford, NSC special assistant to the president and senior director for weapons of mass […]
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International
Radioactive Waste from Scotland Heads to United States: Report
A shipment of radioactive waste from a nuclear cleanup site in Scotland was sent over the weekend to the U.S. Energy Department’s Savannah River Site in South Carolina, on its way to Tennessee, the Scottish Sunday Post newspaper has reported. The radioactive waste was loaded onto a U.S. Air Force cargo plane and took off from Scotland […]
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Interim Storage & Waste Disposal
Advisory Committee Joins Fight Against Sending Spent Fuel to SRS
A local advisory committee on Tuesday urged the Energy Department not to accept shipments of spent nuclear fuel from Germany at the Savannah River Site in South Carolina. The recommendation was one of three approved during the meeting of the SRS Citizens Advisory Board’s (CAB) Nuclear Materials Committee. The three recommendations all complement positions widely […]
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Non-Proliferation
Wrap Up: Nuclear Detection, Forensics Working Groups to Continue Exercises: State Dept.
The Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism (GICNT) convened its biannual plenary meeting last week in Tokyo, Japan, where partner nations committed to continue the work of three nuclear detection, forensics, and response working groups. The initiative, co-chaired by the United States and Russia, is intended to promote international cooperation to strengthen global prevention, detection, […]