Between 1944 and 1994, the U.S. government produced 99.5 metric tons of plutonium for use in an estimated 70,000 nuclear weapons. Today, roughly 80% of the U.S. nuclear arsenal has been discarded, and the United States is struggling to dispose of the surplus plutonium. Currently, a total of 61.2 tons of plutonium is declared excess […]
Pentagon Budget
Summary of Senate Version of Fiscal 2016 National Defense Authorization Bill
On May 12, the Senate Armed Services Committee approved a $602 billion authorization bill by a vote of 23-3. The three Senators who voted no were reported as Deb Fischer (R-NB), Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Mike Lee (R-UT). Cruz said he voted no because of the provision requiring women to register for the draft. Lee […]
Reducing the Threat of HEU: Alternative Fuel for Naval Reactors
By: Cassandra Peterson The Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty ensures a country’s right to pursue peaceful nuclear energy projects in a verifiable manner, but a convenient loophole places enriched uranium intended for nautical use outside of the realm of accepted safeguards. This means that some highly enriched uranium (HEU) held by the U.S. and other countries isn’t […]
Fact Sheet: F-35 Joint Strike Fighter: Costs and Challenges
Updated July 2021 What Is It? The F-35, known as the Lightning II, is a Joint Strike Fighter (JSF, emphasis added) because contracts exist for the United States Air Force, Marine Corps, and Navy, as well as eight NATO countries and five non-NATO partners. The fighter has three variants, one of which (F-35A) will have […]
The Latest IAEA Report Shows the Iran Deal Working
If both sides are serious about holding Iran’s nuclear program accountable, then members from the House and Senate must join Senator Coons and vote to make sure that the IAEA has the appropriate resources to do its job.
