DefenceTalkDefenceTalkThe atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki capped six years of top-secret work by scientists from Europe and North America. Here is an overview of how that process unfolded. Einstein warning In 1939, Albert Einstein signs a letter warning US president Franklin D. Roosevelt of the destructive potential of nuclear fission, which was discovered by […]https://www.defencetalk.com/from-manhattan-to-hiroshima-the-race-for-the-atom-bomb-76123/

DefenceTalkDefenceTalkNorth Korean leader Kim Jong Un said that Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons guarantee its safety, state media reported Tuesday, signalling once again that it will not give up its arsenal. Kim was addressing a conference of veterans on the 67th anniversary of the 1953 armistice that ended Korean War hostilities, the official Korean Central News Agency […]https://www.defencetalk.com/north-koreas-kim-says-nuclear-deterrent-crucial-76068/

DefenceTalkDefenceTalkA United States study on worldwide nuclear materials security for 2020 has said Pakistan is the “most improved country” after increasing its overall score by seven points. On the whole, Pakistan ranked 19 with 47 points, while India ranked one place below at 20th spot with 41 points. According to the National Threat Initiative Nuclear […]https://www.defencetalk.com/pakistan-most-improved-country-on-us-nuclear-security-index-76029/

DefenceTalkDefenceTalkTehran on Thursday reported an “accident” at Natanz nuclear complex in central Iran, saying there were no casualties or radioactive pollution, and warned foes — especially Israel — against hostile actions. There was “no nuclear material (at the damaged warehouse) and no potential of pollution,” the spokesman for Iran’s Atomic Energy Organisation Behrouz Kamalvandi told […]https://www.defencetalk.com/iran-reports-accident-at-nuclear-site-warns-enemies-75828/

DefenceTalkDefenceTalkThe United States could be willing to extend its last remaining major nuclear weapons treaty with Russia but only under strict conditions, a senior official said Wednesday. The US and Russia held talks on the New START accord, which limits their nuclear warheads but expires in February 2021, in Vienna on Monday amid a row […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-could-extend-russia-arms-treaty-with-conditions-75759/

DefenceTalkLeft-leaning allies of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s ruling conservatives launched an offensive on Sunday calling for the withdrawal of US nuclear arms in Germany. Two senior figures in the Social Democratic Party (SPD), the junior partner in the government coalition, voiced strong opposition to the weapons. “Nuclear arms on German soil do not strengthen our security, […]https://www.defencetalk.com/germanys-spd-seeks-scrapping-of-us-nuclear-arms-shield-75371/

DefenceTalkRussia is warning that any U.S. attempt to use a low-yield nuclear weapon against a Russian target would set off a massive nuclear response. The Russian foreign ministry was reacting to a State Department paper released last week that says placing low-yield nuclear weapons on ballistic missiles launched from submarines would counter what it sees […]https://www.defencetalk.com/russia-threatens-massive-response-if-us-deploys-low-yield-nukes-on-subs-75339/

DefenceTalkThe United States maintains a robust nuclear arsenal that consists of ground-based, air-launched and sea-launched weapons. Together, it’s commonly called the “nuclear triad,” and it remains the centerpiece of the U.S. nuclear deterrent. The triad is fast approaching the end of its service life and must quickly be replaced before it’s lost. Victorino G. Mercado, […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-seeks-to-maintain-credible-nuclear-deterrent-74596/

DefenceTalkWith both Russia and China making great advances in their strategic weapons arsenals, the U.S. must update its nuclear triad or risk the prospect of existing systems needing to be dismantled due to age — an outcome tantamount to disarmament, a top Navy official said. “When we talk about the modernization of the triad, what […]https://www.defencetalk.com/stratcom-commander-failing-to-replace-nuclear-triad-akin-to-disarmament-74371/

DefenceTalkThe remaining parties to the faltering Iran nuclear deal will meet in Vienna on Wednesday in their first gathering after Britain, France and Germany launched a dispute process over Tehran’s successive pullbacks. The meeting comes as the parties try to find a way to save the landmark 2015 agreement, which has been crumbling since the […]https://www.defencetalk.com/iran-nuclear-deal-commission-meets-to-try-to-save-accord-74274/