"The unit cost for viable space-based interceptors..must be no more than about $200k if designed to counter Russia only, or about $30k if intended to maintain defense against both Russia and China..[E]xisting approaches are in most cases very far from meeting these metrics."

"Don’t Overestimate the Autocratic Alliance"

"The Air Force is not planning to fund a service life extension program for Minuteman III, but instead to 'mitigate obsolescence issues' with the ICBM, he [Gen. Rogers] said.

"Russia still waiting for US response to nuclear arms control proposal, says Russia's UN envoy"

"Pentagon to continue to draft its FY-27 budget despite lapse in FY-26 appropriations"

Two views. "Why President Trump should put off the new nuclear arms race for one more year" thebulletin.org/2025/09/why-... "Responding to Putin’s Arms Control Proposal" www.aei.org/foreign-and-...

"asked whether the cost estimate for the effort still coincides with the $175 billion figure shared by Trump, Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., who leads SASC’s tactical air and land subcommittee, responded that 'it does.'"

"Kremlin says British and French arsenals must ultimately be part of nuclear disarmament talks"

“The new acceleration council is focused on 12 weapons that the Pentagon wants on hand for a potential conflict w/China..The list includes Patriot interceptors, Long Range Anti-Ship Missiles, the Standard Missile-6, Precision Strike Missiles and Joint Air-Surface Standoff Missiles.”

🤦‍♂️ “Naturally, the Russian side is ready to participate in such a process of renunciation, a general renunciation of biological weapons, and, of course, it would be good to somehow formalise it, again at the international level," he said.

"Trump's shipbuilding office is active within OMB after relocation and leadership change"

"China, China, Chi—wait, what? Air Force mulls next steps amid homeland focus"

"Air Force general pledges to ‘get Sentinel done,’ expects Milestone B in 2027" breakingdefense.com/2025/09/air-...

"U.S. Air Force Secretary: New Chief Nomination Coming Soon"

“In the future..we will be able to better adjust and get after those new capabilities, especially when it comes to things like software and some of the other capabilities that may ride on top of the missile.”

Service Secretary Troy Meink stressed to reporters that Sentinel and the entire nuclear enterprise remains “one of our top priorities...I’m much more confident in the program than I was when I first got the job.”

-“We are really looking, based on the analysis, to early-to-mid 2027" for Milestone B redo -IOC "has shifted to the end of 2033" -"the service is examining removing the final Minuteman III well before that date [2050]"

"Backing away from Russia, Trump says Ukraine should win back its land and NATO allies should shoot down incursions"

"In Rare China Visit, U.S. Lawmakers Call Lack of Military Talks ‘Dangerous’"

"Pentagon kicks off space-based interceptor development, $5.6B available to fuel effort"

“The Pakistanis are not giving their bomb to Saudi Arabia,” the person said, citing discussions within the Israeli government. “But the Saudis are also saying something very loudly: ‘We have other friends in the world’.”

At the White House, Mr. Trump’s press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, said Mr. Trump was “aware of this offer extended by President Putin” and said he would soon comment on it. “I think it sounds pretty good,” Ms. Leavitt said. www.nytimes.com/2025/09/22/w...

"Pentagon CTO wants AI on every desktop in 6 to 9 months"

"This year, Ukraine is on track to build, buy and use over 4 million drones, while the U.S. will produce only tens of thousands annually. Furthermore, any plans for building a 'Golden Dome' over the United States had better be able to counter these new threats, not just..ballistic missiles."

Mostly agree with "be like Kim, not like Khamenei." But: -Iran agreed to JCPOA after Libya and Crimea. -Iran had to weigh risk of bomb sprint being discovered. -DPRK's non-nuke military threat to ROK > Iran's to Israel. -No China equivalent for Iran.

In 2004 NNSA began planning the Uranium Processing Facility to replace Manhattan Project-era facilities at Y-12 in TN. Fast forward 21 years: UPF’s est. cost is up to nearly $10 billion and it’ll cost NNSA to keep using old facilities until UPF is complete. www.gao.gov/products/gao...

"3MDTF debuts Typhon in Japan, draws Chinese rebuke"

"Griffin: Midcourse intercept is low-hanging fruit in costly space-based missile defense"

"Pentagon Completes Golden Dome Blueprint, But Silent on Costs"

Will be worth watching what impact this - and the setting back of Iran's nuclear program, collapse of nuclear diplomacy with Iran, and Iran's diminished power in the region - will have on Saudi interest in pursuit of domestic uranium enrichment.

"Israel’s Assault on Gaza City Stifles Hope of Diplomatic Resolution to War"

"Army mum on depot plans, but it has echoes of a BRAC"

"House Wants Annual USAF Minuteman III Sustainment Plan Until Sentinel Reaches Full Deployment"

-Minuteman III "performing well" -"enough available assets to sustain the required ICBMs on alert to 2050, but there are sustainment risks" -No "risk management plan for the transition including risks resulting from prolonged operation of Minuteman III"

🙌👏 "Technicians completed processing the secondary waste containing residual amounts of nerve agent at the Blue Grass plant Sept. 11, the largest closure-related accomplishment since the start of closure in 2023."

"A system that protects against the full range of aerial threats..could cost $3.6 trillion, and..would fall short of..'100 percent' effectiveness..In contrast, the $175 billion price tag..only affords a much less capable system that is no match for [Russia and China]" www.aei.org/research-pro...

"PHOTOS: Air Force Shows Off Second B-21 in New Images"

"Mr. Kim added that the government would not proceed with the plans for investing in shipbuilding...without an agreement on how the rest of the investment into the United States would be put in place."

“Rubio quietly signals U.S. won’t sink submarine deal with Australia”

When asked, Hoeven said while it’s “not final,” the construction plans would “in all likelihood” be for “green fields,” or brand new silos, instead of reusing the old silos.

Typhon Mid-Range Capability to be deployed to Japan and feature in the Resolute Dragon drills in Okinawa Prefecture and other parts of the country from Sept. 11 to Sept. 25.

"STRATCOM deputy nominated to lead nuclear weapons command"

"If the Iranians can deplete 25 percent of America’s THAAD stocks and a significant portion of our SM-3 magazines in a few days, the Chinese can and will exhaust them in a few hours. Multi-million-dollar missiles..are no match for far cheaper and more plentiful threats."

"China Shows Off Nuclear Ambitions With Expanding Missile Arsenal" www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

The Order authorizes the Secretary of Defense, the [DoD], and subordinate officials to use secondary titles such as “Secretary of War,” “Department of War,” and “Deputy Secretary of War” in official correspondence, public communications, ceremonial contexts, and non-statutory documents...

-The United States currently fields 400 (not 450) ICBMs. -New START doesn't limit number of warheads on ICBMs. One warhead per ICBM is a U.S. choice. (1/3)

"US to cut some security funds for European countries bordering Russia"

"But the United States is approaching the point at which the national debt could undermine not only the country’s economic stability but also the things that have sustained its global power for so many decades"

"MDA seeks sub-$1M interceptor white papers to flip cost paradigm, deal with mass raids"