Air Force Chief Says Nuclear Stockpile Too Large, Costly

August 6, 2012 | Edited by Benjamin Loehrke and Leah Fae Cochran

Reducing the reserve - The U.S. has about 2,800 warheads in its active reserve. According to the Air Force’s top officer, it may be time to get rid of these extra warheads. “We have more backup systems in terms of weapons systems than we actually have deployed...Some of that is a reasonable hedge [but] there is probably room for reductions,’’ said General Norton A. Schwartz, Chief of Staff of the Air Force. Bryan Bender of the Boston Globe has the story.

--A recent report chaired by Gen. James Cartwright said the U.S. could meet its security requirements with a nuclear arsenal to 900 total warheads with 450 in reserve. Reducing the reserve also has budget incentives. “We can save money and logistics costs if we could get at the reserve,” said Jon Wolfsthal of the Monterey Institute. http://b.globe.com/ROEDdZ

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67 years ago - It’s the 67th anniversary of the Hiroshima atomic bombing. AP story here. http://abcn.ws/OUdDeR

1,000 cranes - “This week, as the world remembers the horror of that day in Hiroshima and the more than 100,000 people who died from the atomic bomb, Ploughshares Fund is working to fold 1,000 paper cranes. Will you help us?”

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Tweet - @IISS_org: Andrew Parasiliti on how to close the deal with #Iran http://bit.ly/Mo5lYF

Misunderstanding - Two Iran experts explore five myths that perpetuate U.S.-Iran conflict in The National Interest.

--”The institutionalized enmity goes back three decades—sometimes in spite of the people in Washington or Tehran and other times exacerbated by misperceptions of their respective national interests. All of this misunderstanding combines to foster incomplete or false narratives that can take on a life of their own,” writes Reza Marashi and Reza Sanati. Read the myths here. http://bit.ly/RsIqC8

Curiosity - In case you missed it, the United States just landed an automobile-sized robot on Mars after an 8-month, 345 million mile journey, and a harrowing but flawless landing. The robot has a heart of (non-weapons grade) plutonium. http://bit.ly/Q3K1Zg

Y-12 - The Knoxville News Sentinel calls last week’s breakin at the Y-12 nuclear weapons plant by peace activists “an outrageous and unforgivable breach of security.” Writes the editorial, “This incident has shattered the perception that Y-12 is an impregnable stronghold.” http://bit.ly/QxfPKh

Felony - The peace activists who successfully broke into the Y-12 nuclear complex received felony charges for the destruction of government property in an arraignment hearing on Friday. Two of the three protesters, including the 82-year-old nun, have been released from jail and plan to live in DC until their Oct. 9th trial. The Knoxville News Sentinel has the story. http://bit.ly/MrWPhi

Aegis SPY-1 Radar - George Lewis at Mostly Missile Defense has a technical primer on the Aegis SPY-1 radar and a timeline Aegis cruiser development. http://bit.ly/MrWTO5

Third test? - North Korea may be contemplating another nuclear test in the next few weeks based on observations of a new tunnel recently completed near the test site, according to Frank V. Pabian and Siegfried S. Hecker.

--”It is imperative for Washington, Beijing, and their partners in the six-party talks to join forces to increase the costs on North Korea of continued testing. An additional nuclear test or two would greatly increase the likelihood that Pyongyang could fashion warheads to fit at least some of its missiles -- a circumstance that would vastly increase the threat its nuclear program poses to the security of Northeast Asia,” they write. The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists has the story. http://bit.ly/OUgLY1

A phoenix from the ashes - “MEADS is on almost everyone's list of sensible and strategically sound defense cuts. A good chunk of Congress agrees and-until two days ago-all the relevant House and Senate committees had denied funding the program into 2013. That was, until the Senate Appropriations subcommittee on defense approved a $380 million earmark for the program on Tuesday.

--Like a phoenix rising from the ashes (more like a mummy emerging from the grave) MEADS is somehow, once again, alive,” writes Pete Hegseth in AOL Defense. Full story here. http://aol.it/NeJaF4

Red Dawn revamp - North Korea might be short on food for its people and any semblance of a strategic airlift capacity, but that doesn’t stop it from invading the United States in the upcoming remake of the 1984 cult classic “Red Dawn.” The movie comes to a theater near you on November 21st.

--David Axe at Danger Room explains in his story “North Korea Invades America in Dumbest Movie Ever.” http://bit.ly/Mo3sLo