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
The Federation of American Scientists applauds the United States for declassifying the number of nuclear warheads in its military stockpile and the number of retired and dismantled warheads.
North Korea may have produced enough fissile material to build up to 90 nuclear warheads.
Secretary Austin’s likely certification of the Sentinel program should be open to public interrogation, and Congress must thoroughly examine whether every requirement is met before allowing the program to continue.
Researchers have many questions about the modernization of Pakistan’s nuclear-capable aircraft and associated air-launched cruise missiles.