Publications: Nuclear Security & Deterrence Monitor

Allowing new exports of U.S. highly enriched uranium to Belgium would pose a significant security threat and violate both the letter of the law and the spirit of global efforts to wean nuclear facilities off the weapon-usable material, a University of Texas professor said Thursday in a petition against a license application before the Nuclear […]

Several major defense contractors have confirmed their intention to bid on the requests for proposals the U.S. Air Force released on July 29 for technology maturation and risk reduction operations for the Long-Range Standoff (LRSO) and Ground-Based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD) missile programs, part of the United States’ plan to modernize each leg of the nuclear […]

Having never persuaded Republicans that ratifying the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty would be a good idea, President Barack Obama intends to press for a U.N. Security Council resolution urging the permanent global halt to explosive nuclear weapons testing, according to news reports this week. The Washington Post reported Thursday that Obama would seek the […]

Top Air Force officials have in recent days defended current U.S. nuclear posture that avoids officially declaring no-first-use of nuclear weapons, despite calls from lawmakers to President Barack Obama to adopt such a policy during his remaining time in office. Lt. Gen. Jack Weinstein, Air Force deputy chief of staff for strategic deterrence and nuclear […]

A new thermal neutron source at the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) in South Carolina began operations at the end of June in support of the National Nuclear Security Administration’s tritium mission, the lab announced last week. The neutron source, which cost $3.1 million to design and install, was built by Adelphi Technologies and is […]

Like Congress, the ExchangeMonitor is going on recess in August, and Nuclear Security & Deterrence Monitor will not be published during the second and third weeks of the month. We’ll still be in the office, so keep the news tips coming, and look for the next weekly newsletter in your inbox on Friday, Aug. 26.

National Security Technologies (NSTec) is seeking information on the design and suppliers of unmanned aerial systems (UAS). NSTec, the management and operations contractor at the Nevada National Security Site, is particularly interested in heavy-lift fixed-winged vertical operating drone platforms, according to a request for information posted Monday. The contractor is seeking drone designs that meet technical […]

The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) said Monday it has officially OK’d the production engineering phase of the B61-12 warhead life-extension program, marking the program’s entry into the final phase of development before production. This milestone follows four years of work in the development-engineering phase, the NNSA said, noting that the first production unit is […]

Capitol Hill is buzzing with debate over changes to U.S. nuclear posture that President Barack Obama is rumored to be considering during his final months in office. At the center of these debates is the potential adoption of a nuclear no-first-use posture; current policy allows first use against nuclear-weapon states, but only under extreme circumstances. […]

A Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) inspection of construction of the Mixed Oxide (MOX) Fuel Fabrication Facility identified two “apparent violations” involving structural welding by plant contractor CB&I AREVA MOX Services, according to a July 25 letter from the NRC to the firm. The June 20-July 6 inspection reviewed an item that remained unresolved since a […]

The Savannah River Site has not yet been submitted a request to restrict airspace to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) after about a month of workers spotting drones flying above key areas of the Department of Energy facility. A 10th sighting occurred Friday when workers witnessed an unmanned aircraft system (UAS) flying over the site’s […]

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is an erratic personality in a nation that needs strong, calm leadership to deal with the global threats it faces, his opponent and other Democrats said during this week’s Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. In her acceptance speech late Thursday as the Democratic nominee for president, Hillary Clinton said Trump “can’t […]

The Department of Energy (DOE) has submitted its informational memorandum on open emergency management deficiencies at defense nuclear facilities as part of the DOE’s implementation of its complex-wide emergency preparedness and response improvement program. The department has been developing its implementation plan since the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB) recommended in 2014 that DOE […]

Interested parties have until mid-August to request a hearing or petition for intervention regarding an application for a Nuclear Regulatory Commission license for export of highly enriched uranium to Belgium. Nuclear transportation provider Edlow International filed the application in June for authorization to transport 134.208 kilograms of uranium 235 in 144 kilograms of uranium, enriched […]

The Savannah River Site’s Citizens Advisory Board (CAB) on Tuesday approved a position paper opposing the Department of Energy facility’s possible receipt of 900 kilograms of highly enriched uranium (HEU) from Germany. The board has no authority in the matter, but its positions can be representative of the broader community on various topics. The paper, one of several […]

Pat Host Defense Daily The Air Force is still determining the maximum total number of B-21s it will purchase, according to a top officer. Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC) chief Gen. Robin Rand said Thursday he recommends purchasing a minimum of 100 Long Range Strike Bombers (LRSB). He said that the maximum number of […]

Chicago Bridge & Iron (CB&I) on Wednesday reported $123.8 million in net income for the second quarter of 2016, down from $169.5 million during the same quarter last year. This corresponds to income of $1.17 per diluted share in the latest quarter, falling from $1.55 in the second quarter of 2015. Revenue landed at $2.7 billion […]

Northrop Grumman on Wednesday reported $6 billion in sales in the second quarter of 2016, a 2 percent year-over-year increase, along with $517 million in net earnings, down from $531 million in the same period of 2015. The company also reported a 2 percent decline in operating income from the second quarter of 2015 to that of 2016. […]

Incumbent Lockheed Martin said Monday it has teamed with the Purdue, New Mexico State (NMSU), and New Mexico Tech (NMT) universities to bid on the Sandia National Laboratories management and operations contract. The announcement clarifies the cooperative arrangement that was still unclear when Lockheed announced early last month its intent to bid to retain the contract. […]

The Nevada National Security Site’s 2016 full-scale exercise, intended to test the facility’s emergency response capabilities, highlighted a deficiency in providing sufficient information to off-site emergency management organizations, hindering their ability to respond to site emergencies with consequences beyond its boundaries, the Department of Energy’s Office of Enterprise Assessments (EA) found in a new report. This issue […]

The Savannah River Site in South Carolina has begun a process to restrict its airspace in response to the recent sightings of drones flying overhead. Due to the sensitivity of the matter, site officials won’t discuss further details, such as the individual steps in the process to restrict the airspace. In a note sent to […]

Honeywell said Friday its second-quarter 2016 sales totaled $10 billion, a 2 percent increase from the same quarter last year.  Earnings per share also increased by 10 percent year over year, leading the company to raise its EPS guidance for 2016 by 8-10 percent, to $6.60-$6.70. Honeywell CEO Dave Cote noted during the company’s earnings […]

Last week’s failed military coup against Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has reignited the public debate regarding the security and value of the U.S. tactical nuclear weapons widely accepted to be deployed in the NATO state. Any corresponding discussion happening within the Obama administration or Defense Department, though, is being kept behind closed doors. “Turkey […]

Funding will not be a problem in the Obama administration’s plan to field a new Long-Range Standoff (LRSO) nuclear cruise missile, Lt. Gen. Jack Weinstein, Air Force deputy chief of staff for strategic deterrence and nuclear integration, said Thursday. President Barack Obama’s fiscal 2017 budget funds all of the Air Force’s nuclear modernization programs, including […]

A group of Democratic Party senators on Wednesday urged President Barack Obama to take several steps in the final months of his presidency to reduce the risk of inadvertent nuclear war and to limit nuclear weapons spending. The letter was signed by Sens. Ed Markey (Mass.), Dianne Feinstein (Calif.), Al Franken (Minn.), Barbara Boxer (Calif.), Jeff […]

Consolidated Nuclear Security (CNS) is seeking expressions of interest from entities that can convert enriched lithium chloride and enriched lithium hydride to lithium metal for the Y-12 National Security Complex in Tennessee, according to a notice posted last week. Lithium is used for the manufacture of nuclear weapons components; the National Nuclear Security Administration’s (NNSA) […]

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) should implement stronger controls for all categories of radioactive material for which it grants licenses, including the least dangerous category that currently falls outside of the same level of scrutiny, according to a July 15 Government Accountability Office (GAO) report. The GAO conducted undercover tests through which it established three […]

The finalized Republican Party Platform unveiled this week calls for modernization of the U.S. nuclear arsenal, criticizes the Obama administration’s disarmament and arms control initiatives, and indicates the United States will confront “Russian belligerence” while promoting a partnership between the two countries on common concerns such as nuclear nonproliferation. The platform was released to coincide with […]