Manufacturing Nuclear Weapon Pits, and More from CRS
A critical assessment of the feasibility of reaching the Department of Defense’s goal of producing 80 plutonium pits (or triggers) for nuclear weapons was prepared by the Congressional Research Service. It provides new analysis of the space and material requirements needed to achieve the declared goal. See Manufacturing Nuclear Weapon “Pits”: A Decisionmaking Approach for Congress, August 15, 2014.
Other new or updated CRS reports obtained by Secrecy News include the following.
The U.S. Military Presence in Okinawa and the Futenma Base Controversy, August 14, 2014
India’s New Government and Implications for U.S. Interests, August 7, 2014
Guatemala: Political, Security, and Socio-Economic Conditions and U.S. Relations, updated August 7, 2014
Small Refineries and Oil Field Processors: Opportunities and Challenges, August 11, 2014
Telemarketing Regulation: National and State Do Not Call Registries, August 14, 2014
Immigration Policies and Issues on Health-Related Grounds for Exclusion, updated August 13, 2014
Over the past year, the campaign to abolish nuclear weapons has experienced numerous wins that were celebrated at the Meeting of State Parties.
China is NOT a nuclear “peer” of the United States, as some contend.
China’s total number of approximately 600 warheads constitutes only a small portion of the United States’ estimated stockpile of 3,700 warheads.
Dr. Lim will help develop, organize, and implement FAS’s growing contribution in the area of catastrophic risk including on core areas of nuclear weapons, AI and national security, space, and other emerging technologies.
Moreover, the recent decrease in UK government transparency regarding the status of its nuclear arsenal and modernization program reflects a worrisome global trend.