Air Force Perspective on Budgets and the Nuclear Enterprise

On the radar: Sec. Donley on nukes; Richardson in Pyongyang; Sen. Franken on reducing nuclear spending; Cabinet shuffle; Y-12 and Pantex contracts; Preventing nuclear terror; and Phantom bombers.

January 9, 2013 | Edited by Benjamin Loehrke and Marianne Nari Fisher

Air Force view - In a series of op-eds on the future of the Air Force as it grapples with budget reductions, Air Force Secretary Michael Donley writes, “The nuclear-capable bombers and ICBMs that make up two legs of the nation's strategic nuclear triad account for less than five percent of Air Force personnel. These forces could become smaller as we implement the new START agreement reached between the US and Russia. But potentially deeper reductions must consider multi-dimensional challenges from the world's emerging nuclear powers in a more complex security environment.”

--”Decisions at the national level will determine the makeup of the nuclear enterprise; however, it must have the focus and resources necessary for credible deterrence. Airmen must know this remains a critical mission with no margin for error. The nation's nuclear expertise must not be allowed to atrophy; and focused attention is necessary no matter the size of the force.” Full post in AOL Defense. http://aol.it/SkqgEX

Hagel on Iran - “The Iran Primer” by the US Institute of Peace has a compilation of statements from Sen. Hagel on Iran policy - including his thoughts on engagement, military action, and sanctions. http://bit.ly/11bWe8J

Tweet - @ArmsControlNow: Retired General James Cartwright Voted 2012 "Arms Control Person of the Year" http://bit.ly/VfDGRN

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Tweet - @NTI_WMD: Happy 12th birthday, NTI! 12 yrs later, our work is still more urgent than ever. Watch this gem from C-SPAN's archives http://tinyurl.com/ast9nhv

Delegation to DPRK - Former Gov. Bill Richardson and a nine-member delegation are in North Korea on a humanitarian trip. The group has called on the North Koreans to increase openness for its citizens, as well a put a moratorium on missile launches and nuclear tests. AP has the full story. http://apne.ws/11fEUzN

Sen. Franken on cuts - Outlining recommendations for federal spending cuts to mitigate the debt ceiling crisis, Senator Al Franken (D-MN) suggests the U.S. can cut spending on nuclear weapons facilities. "These are weapons we're not going to use. We need to make sure we have a deterrent but we're talking hundreds of billions of dollars," said Sen. Franken in an interview with KARE 11. http://kare11.tv/UwU78H

Nominations - Deputy Secretary of Defense Ash Carter’s name is being circulated as a potential successor for Energy Secretary Steven Chu. “Although he lacks a distinctive energy policy background, Carter would bring attention to the department’s often overlooked but immense responsibility overseeing the nation’s nuclear weapons stockpile and efforts to pursue nonproliferation agreements,” reports Politico. http://politi.co/UKGSqh

Complex contracts - The Y-12 National Security Complex and Pantex Plant nuclear weapons facilities in Tennessee and Texas are slated to be run by a group of contractors headed by Bechtel National and Lockheed Martin starting in May for a five year contract. The San Francisco Chronicle has the story. http://bit.ly/10f0aX7

Fissile materials - The threat of nuclear terrorism demands action high level political attention, writes Ryan Costello in The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists.

--The author suggests that President Obama work with Congress to implement legislation on two nuclear security conventions, protect nonproliferation funding, continue cooperation with Russia, and work with world leaders to ensure that preventing nuclear terrorism remains a top priority for the 2014 Nuclear Security Summit and beyond. http://bit.ly/UWwFnV

Tweet - @RAeSTimR: CIA declassifies 1959 U-2 flight manual - (including neat cartoons how to fly spy plane!) http://ow.ly/gEODb #avgeek

Phantom bombers - The Air Force has a set of bombers that are unfit to fly, parked in a boneyard at an Arizona Air Force base, and count against New START limits. The Air Force is committed to scrapping these phantom bombers before New START’s 2018 deadline. However, it would take additional money to speed up the disassembly process and fully remove the bombers’ nuclear capability. Michael Hoffman at DoD Buzz has the story. http://bit.ly/VGXf2R