Digests and Blog

By Tom Z. Collina (UPDATED March 29) Senator Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and other members of Congress are right to be concerned that Russia may not be complying with the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty. The State Department confirmed in January that Russia may have breached the agreement by testing a new cruise missile, and the administration has formally taken up the issue with Moscow. But Rubio and his colleagues* go too far with a March 25 resolution that would hold Russia accountable for "being in material breach of its obligations" under the treaty by calling for a halt to…

By Daryl G. Kimball (UPDATED 8:00pm) Clearly, Congress has an important role in implementing any comprehensive, final-phase agreement between the P5+1 and Iran to "ensure Iran's nuclear programme will be exclusively peaceful." Those talks are now underway in Vienna. In that role, members of the Senate and House have a responsibility to support the efforts of the P5+1 on the basis of a clear understanding and realistic expectation for what the negotiations can deliver and for what is necessary to prevent a nuclear-armed Iran. In a letter to the President signed by 83 Senators that was released…

The following are some of the key arms control dates and developments to watch in the coming week. For more news and analysis on these and other weapons-related security issues, consider subscribing to ACA's monthly journal Arms Control Today, which is available in print/digital and digital-only editions. - the Editors at Arms Control Today March 16: Crimea Referendum & New START Tensions are rising in Ukraine as Russian military forces have been deployed to the eastern boarder of Ukraine and a referendum on secession of Crimea is scheduled to take place on Sunday, March 16. Should the…

The following are some of the key arms control dates and developments to watch in the coming week. For more news and analysis on these and other weapons-related security issues, consider subscribing to ACA's monthly journal Arms Control Today, which is available in print/digital and digital-only editions. - the Editors at Arms Control Today March 11: OMB Releases Details on Fiscal 2015 Budget Request The Office of Management and Budget is due to provide additional program specific details regarding the annual federal budget through the OMB website. Based on details that emerged from last…

By Daryl G. Kimball (UPDATED: March 9) President Vladimir Putin's decision to send Russian military forces into the Crimean region of Ukraine earlier this month—on the basis of the claim that Ukraine's discredited former President Viktor Yanukovich requested Russian intervention—has put the world on edge and created one of the most serious political confrontations between Russia and the West since the end of the Cold War. Two Ukrainian air force officers walk away from their decommissioned Tupolev Tu-22M-3, "Backfire" strategic, nuclear-capable bomber in 1996. The Russian military…

The U.S. could save $16 billion by downsizing the strategic submarine fleet from 12 to 8 and still deploy a New START-size force.   By Tom Z. Collina Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel warned this week that "tough, tough choices are coming" if the Pentagon is forced to make deep spending cuts, as required by law. Options on the table include slashing 20,000 to 30,000 soldiers and retiring an aircraft carrier. But, so far, the Pentagon says it is not considering options for reducing the high cost of nuclear modernization programs. It should. The United States can stay at warhead levels set by the…

As the crisis in Ukraine continues to dominate global attention and the news headlines, several other arms control developments of significance in the coming week. For more news and analysis on these and other weapons-related security issues, consider subscribing to ACA's monthly journal Arms Control Today, which is available in print/digital and digital-only editions. The March issue of ACT will be available online later this week to all subscribers. - the Editors at Arms Control Today Week of March 3: IAEA Board of Governors Convenes The 35-member International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)…

In the coming days, the staff and editors at the Arms Control Association will be keeping an eye on the following arms control-related developments. For more news and analysis on these and other weapons-related security issues, consider subscribing to ACA's monthly journal Arms Control Today, which is available in print/digital and digital-only editions. More information and timely analysis is available from www.armscontrol.org. - the Editors at Arms Control Today March 1: 60th Anniversary of the"Castle Bravo" Nuclear Test in the Pacific Ceremonies held this week in Little Rock, Arkansas…

By Kelsey Davenport The head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, Ali Akbar Salehi and Yukiya Amano, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency chief Yukiya Amano, right, after signing an agreement in Tehran on November 11 giving the agency greater access to some nuclear sites in Iran. (Credit: European Pressphoto Agency) The International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) most recent report on Iran shows that Tehran is complying with the terms of a deal negotiated with the P5+1 on November 24. The February 20 report confirms that the Joint Plan of Action has halted Iran's…

This bulletin highlights significant events in the world of arms control in the coming days, as compiled by staff and friends of the Arms Control Association. For more news and analysis on these and other weapons-related security issues, consider subscribing to ACA's monthly journal Arms Control Today. Available in print/digital and digital-only subscriptions. - the Editors at Arms Control Today Feb. 18: P5+1 Talks with Iran on Its Nuclear Program Resume In Vienna Diplomats from the P5+1 (China, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States) and Iran will convene in…