The Nuke Review: May 28 – June 3
The Nuke Review: May 28 – June 3
May 28th
The U.S. has almost completed the delivery of special equipment for a solid rocket fuel disposal facility in Ukraine. The Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (Start-1), which Ukraine became a Party to following their signing of the Lisbon Protocol, requires the elimination of ICBMs and related infrastructure. The facility, to be located at the Pavlohrad Chemical Plant in Dnipropetrovsk, is jointly funded by the U.S. and Ukraine and is slated for commission in the fall of 2012. The program entails the disposal of solid rocket propellant and empty shells of ICBM motors from the RS-22 (NATO designation SS-24) missile systems. The goal of the program is to dispose of all Ukraine’s solid fuel, approximately 5,000 tons, before 2014.
United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC) spokesman, Alexei Kravchenko, confirmed that a contract has been signed between the Russian Defense Ministry and USC for the delivery of five new Borey Class strategic nuclear submarines.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman, Ramin Mehmanparast, was quoted stating, “If Western countries acknowledge that Iran is enriching at 20% for peaceful purposes, but asks us not to do it, Iran will consider their request.
May 29th
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman, Ramin Mehmanparast, speaking about sanctions warned, “This approach of pressure concurrent with negotiations will never work. These countries should not enter negotiations with such illusions and misinterpretations.”
May 30th
The Institute for Science and International Security released commercial satellite images revealing the leveling of two buildings at the Parchin military complex in Iran. These images strongly suggest the continued ‘sanitization’ of sites associated with the suspected pre-2003 Iranian nuclear weapons program.
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea publicized the revision to the preamble of their constitution declaring their nuclear weapon status. The preamble now associates the acquisition of nuclear weapons with the legacy of the late leader Kim Jong-il.
Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah warned that if Iran obtains nuclear weapons Saudi Arabia will follow suit. Former senior U.S. diplomat Dennis Ross confirmed this threat was conveyed during a meeting with King Abdullah in 2009. A similar statement was reportedly made by King Abdullah during a meeting in 2007 with Russian President Vladimir Putin, but remains unconfirmed.
May 31st
Pakistan’s GEO-TV reported the successful test of the Raad (Hatf 8) nuclear-capable cruise missile. The Raad is an air-launched cruise missile, reportedly with a range of 350 km and equipped with stealth technology.
June 1st
A senior-level U.S. Air Force panel has approved the need for a new ICBM system to replace the Minuteman 3. According to a two-star Air Force General, the ICBM replacement effort is still early in the developmental process.
The Bureau of Arms Control, Verification and Compliance released the updated Fact Sheet for the “New Start Treaty Aggregate Numbers of Strategic Offensive Arms”. The data for this fact sheet is derived from the biannual exchange of data required by the New Start Treaty.
The House Appropriations Committee requested Department of Homeland Security officials to develop a plan for the merging of the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office and the Office of Health Affairs in the legislative report that accompanied the fiscal 2013 homeland security spending bill.
U.S. Secretary of State Hilary Clinton stated, “Our negotiations with Iran have never been about intentions or sincerity, but about actions and results.’ She said that the U.S. needed to see “concrete actions’ at the next round of P5+1 talks in Moscow.
June 2nd
Myanmar Defense Minister Hla Min announced that Myanmar has abandoned its nuclear program. During the IISS Security Summit, Hla Min stated that Myanmar has stopped “all activities on nuclear issues.” He further stated that due to national constraints the program never really developed and that there was little point of scheduling an IAEA visit.
June 3rd
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Mahmoud Abmadinejad will meet prior to the next round of P5+1 talks in Moscow. The meeting will happen on the side lines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit on June 6-7 in Beijing.
The Howaldtswerke-Deutsche-Werft shipyard in Kiel, Germany has delivered three of the six submarines ordered by the Israeli government. The German government has heavily subsidized the order by covering one-third of the costs and deferring Israeli payment until 2015. According to Der Spiegel, the submarines will be equipped with nuclear-tipped cruise missiles utilizing a previously secret hydraulic ejection system.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned Israel about the consequences of military action. In a speech commemorating the death of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, he stated “Should they take any wrong step, any inappropriate move, it will fall on their heads like lightning.” Khamenei in a comment about sanctions said, they were not hurting Iran, but rather “deepening Iran’s hatred of the West”.
