Pentagon Moves Forward on $55 Billion Bomber Program

May 24, 2011

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Today's top nuclear policy stories, with excerpts in bullet form.

Stories we're following today: Tuesday, May 24th, 2011.

Pentagon Weapons Buyer Quietly Visits California to Discuss Bomber Plans - W. J. Hennigan in the L.A. Times [link]

The Pentagon wish list is a proposed fleet of 80 to 100 nuclear-capable bombers that could operate with or without a pilot in the cockpit.
The estimated $55-billion contract that is expected to provide jobs and decades of work for Southern California's aerospace industry.
There is $197 million set aside for developing the bomber in the 2012 fiscal budget, and $3.7 billion is allocated for the program over the next five years, said Maj. Chad Steffey, an Air Force spokesman.
"The Air Force believes it's overdue for an upgrade," Harrison said, adding that funding for the new bomber program could already be underway through the Air Force's $12.6-billion classified, or "black," budget for weapons research and development.

Senate Unveils Tough New Iran Sanctions Legislation - Josh Rogin in The Cable [link]

A primary focus of the bill, which will be called the Iran, North Korea, and Syria Sanctions Consolidation Act of 2011, will be to increasing pressure on companies based in other countries that are still doing business with Iran's energy sector, especially China.
The main leaders on the Senate bill are Sens. Jon Kyl (R-AZ), Joe Lieberman (I-CT), and Bob Menendez (D-NJ). Other main figures to watch on this bill include Mark Kirk (R-IL), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), and Bob Casey (D-PA).
"This bill seeks to tighten our current sanctions by requiring the Obama administration to respond to sanctionable activity," Kirk said.

Strangelove Strikes Again - William Hartung in The Huffington Post [link]

Republicans on the House Armed Services Committee (HASC)...seem to be afraid that the modest but important New START Treaty...is somehow going to sap the strength of the United States, unless it is accompanied by massive new investments in nuclear weapons facilities along with bombers, submarines, and ballistic missiles.
In an effort to hamstring the president's ability to either implement the New START agreement or make further reductions in the U.S. arsenal, the committee's version of the Fiscal Year 2012 National Defense Authorization Act includes a series of obnoxious, dangerous and questionable amendments.
These provisions would bring arms control and nuclear arms reductions to a screeching halt and keep them stalled for 10 to 15 years or longer…Thankfully, the Senate will have a chance to block these absurd amendments and clear the way for sensible reductions in nuclear weapons.

Iran's Bid for Africa's Uranium - Ilan Berman in The Wall Street Journal [link]

According to a confidential intelligence summary...the Islamic Republic has focused on Africa, home to a number of key uranium producers including Zimbabwe, Senegal, Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Iran's aging uranium stockpile, which the Islamic Republic acquired from South Africa in the 1970s, is mostly depleted. As a result, Tehran in recent months has been feverishly courting a motley crew of foreign partners in search of new and stable sources of uranium to fuel its nuclear habit.
By identifying and then punishing Tehran's current suppliers of uranium ore, the U.S. and its allies can slow its acquisition of the raw material necessary to realize its nuclear ambitions.

America In the World - Address by Secretary of Defense Robert Gates

Iran Invites China to Visit Disputed Nuclear Sites - Chris Buckley in Reuters [link]

[Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi, speaking in Beijing,] appeared to renew something like the offer that Iran made in January to open its nuclear sites to envoys from Russia, China, the European Union and other governments.
Salehi said all members of the "P5 plus 1" negotiating group -- China, Russia, the United States, France, Britain and Germany -- could take up this latest offer.