PressTV – 2014-02-09 00:32:06
http://www.presstv.com/detail/2014/02/06/349556/us-successfully-tests-b61-atomic-bomb/
US Successfully Tests B-61 Atomic Bomb
PressTV
(February 6, 2014) — The US has successfully tested an updated version of a B-61 atomic bomb in defiance of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, which calls for nuclear disarmament.
The National Nuclear Security Administration said in a statement that the test was conducted on Tuesday by the Los Alamos and Sandia national laboratories, National Journal reported.
The analysis “is a significant achievement and gives us confidence in our ability to move forward with our efforts to increase the safety and security of the bomb,” Don Cook, NNSA deputy administrator for defense programs, said.
The test was meant to verify how a new model of the B-61 bomb would work under routine conditions or accident scenarios, according to the NNSA.
The analysis also included the targeting accuracy of the revamped model of the nuclear gravity bomb also called Mod-12.
Engineering work for Mod-12, which has been underway for two years, is aimed at keeping B-61 bombs ready for potential use and bolstering their security.
The initial test “provides data for analytical model correlation and validation, insight into component environments and evaluation of developmental hardware,” the NNSA said. “The mechanical environment test series will assist in qualifying the final B-61â€12 design against the full suite of environments.”
US to Spend $1 Trillion on
Nuclear Arms in 30 Years: Report
PressTV
(January 9, 2014) — “Over the next thirty years, the United States plans to spend approximately $1 trillion maintaining the current arsenal, buying replacement systems, and upgrading existing nuclear bombs and warheads,” said the report by the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies (CNS) released on Tuesday.
The costs will not be distributed evenly across the coming years.
The CNS report adds that “procurement of replacement platforms and associated warheads will peak during a four to six year window, sometime after 2020” during which Washington will devote as much as three percent of its annual military budget to its nuclear arsenal.
The funding is comparable to spending levels used for modernizing US nuclear arsenal under former president Ronald Reagan during the 1980s arms race with the former Soviet Union.
The estimated figures by CNS’s year-long study are consistent with those of Congressional Budget Office which predicted last month that the US would spend $355 billion over the next decade on its nuclear weapons complex.
The US is considered one of the largest possessors of nuclear weapons in the world and the only country to have ever used nuclear weapons against another nation.
Based on recent numbers from Federation of Atomic Scientists (FAS), the US currently holds a stockpile of 4,650 nuclear warheads, 2,130 of which are operational. In addition, Washington has 2,700 retired nuclear warheads that are yet to be dismantled.
China’s Nuclear Bomber
Can Hit US Military Bases: Report
PressTV
(December 27, 2013) — China’s new nuclear bomber can launch strategic missile attacks against US military facilities and those of its allies in the Western Pacific, according to Chinese state media.
H-6K strategic bombers have already been deployed with the 8th and 10th air divisions of the People’s Liberation Army’s Air Force, Watch China Times reports.
The strategic bomber can attack the Japanese mainland with CJ-10 cruise missiles without even leaving Chinese airspace.
With a range of between 1,500 and 2,000 kilometers, the CJ-10 meets the requirements of the PLA Air Force to target US military bases and those of its allies in the Western Pacific, according to the report.
The report notes that “the long-range cruise missile has become a crucial part of China’s nuclear arsenal.”
An H-6K would be able to take off from the air base of the PLA’s 10th air division in Anqing, Anhui province and “strike at all US military bases in South Korea.”
In November, Chinese media released a map showing the locations of major US cities and how they would be impacted by a nuclear attack launched from China’s strategic submarine force.
In addition, major cities in India, Russian, Vietnam, Malaysia and the Philippines are within the range of the Chinese nuclear bomber.
The United States is gravely concerned about China’s new long-range nuclear bomber.
The US-China Economic and Security Review Commission warned in its annual report in November that China is “rapidly expanding and diversifying” its ability to strike US bases, ships and aircraft throughout the Pacific, even places like Guam that were previously out of reach.
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