Hacker News with Generative AI: Nuclear Weapons

Europe's Nuclear Trilemma:Difficult and Dangerous Options for Post-US Deterrence (foreignaffairs.com)
Over the first months of Donald Trump’s presidency, it has become increasingly clear to European leaders that remaining reliant on the United States to underwrite the continent’s security would be a dangerous gamble.
Europe, Security, Nuclear Weapons, Geopolitics, International Relations
23 points by howard941 3 days ago | 18 comments
U.S. Finds China Building Giant Fusion Laser During Aerial Survey (wecb.fm)
In a development that has raised eyebrows worldwide, recent satellite images have revealed that China is constructing a massive fusion laser complex that could potentially surpass America’s National Ignition Facility (NIF). This new infrastructure, located in Mianyang, China, has sparked concerns about its dual-purpose potential—could it be aimed at providing clean energy, or does it also signal advancements in nuclear weapons technology? The U.S. is closely monitoring this project, which could have far-reaching implications for both energy and national security.
China, Fusion Energy, Nuclear Weapons, National Security, International Relations
6 points by bentobean 10 days ago | 0 comments
Doge Cuts Reach Key Nuclear Scientists, Bomb Engineers and Safety Experts (nytimes.com)
Firings and buyouts hit the top-secret National Nuclear Security Administration amid a major effort to upgrade America’s nuclear arsenal. Critics say it shows the consequences of heedlessly cutting the federal work force.
Nuclear Weapons, Government, Politics, National Security
20 points by pmags 18 days ago | 1 comments
The Bomb Europe Needs (thecritic.co.uk)
Whether it is becoming post-American, or just less American, Europe’s defence will need tactical nuclear weapons in order to deter Russia from attacking NATO territory.
Military Strategy, International Relations, Nuclear Weapons, Europe, Russia
6 points by mpweiher 23 days ago | 0 comments
89 Seconds to Midnight (thebulletin.org)
In setting the Clock one second closer to midnight, the Science and Security Board sends a stark signal: Because the world is already perilously close to the precipice, a move of even a single second should be taken as an indication of extreme danger and an unmistakable warning that every second of delay in reversing course increases the probability of global disaster.
Doomsday Clock, Nuclear Weapons, Global Threats, International Relations, Climate Change
11 points by simonebrunozzi 25 days ago | 0 comments
US support to maintain UK's nuclear arsenal is in doubt (theguardian.com)
Britain’s ability to rely on the US to maintain the UK’s nuclear arsenal is now in doubt, experts have warned, but working with European states to replace it will be costly and take time.
International Relations, Nuclear Weapons, Military, Politics
74 points by zabzonk 27 days ago | 119 comments
Ukraine, Nuclear Weapons, and Security Assurances at a Glance (2020) (armscontrol.org)
At the time of Ukraine’s independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, Ukraine held the third largest nuclear arsenal in the world, including an estimated 1,900 strategic warheads, 176 intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), and 44 strategic bombers.
Nuclear Weapons, International Relations, Ukraine, Security
4 points by zfg 27 days ago | 0 comments
Canada Eyeing NATO Ally's Nukes to Deter Trump 'Threat': Candidate (newsweek.com)
A politician vying to replace Justin Trudeau as Canada's next leader has suggested forming a closer alliance with Britain and France as the NATO nations possess nuclear weapons, which could help safeguard the Canadians against potential threats posed by President Donald Trump.
Politics, International Relations, Nuclear Weapons, Military Strategy, Canada
9 points by breadwinner 27 days ago | 0 comments
What if America turned off Britain's weapons? (reaction.life)
Amid growing jumpiness over Donald Trump’s re-alignment with Russia, a vulnerability that has long troubled many in UK military circles is taking centre stage: Britain’s ultimate wartime deterrent - the Trident nuclear programme - is built on the assumption that Washington has its back.
Politics, International Relations, Military, Nuclear Weapons
76 points by howard941 27 days ago | 129 comments
Prime Minister of Poland says country must pursue nuclear weapons (twitter.com)
Something went wrong, but don’t fret — let’s give it another shot.
Politics, International Relations, Nuclear Weapons, Poland
28 points by apsec112 27 days ago | 28 comments
How the Military Wants AI to Help Control America's Nuclear Arsenal (twz.com)
While it has long been a world-ending threat in science fiction, U.S. Air Force and Space Force officials see artificial intelligence (AI) playing important, if not critical roles in the command and control enterprise at the heart of America’s nuclear deterrent capabilities.
Military, Artificial Intelligence, Nuclear Weapons
8 points by throwaway888abc 28 days ago | 1 comments
Threat to UK Nuclear Deterrent (theguardian.com)
Something seismic has changed in the US-British relationship that will require the UK to look elsewhere for allies and accept that deals such as cooperation over the British nuclear deterrent are now in question, a former British ambassador to Washington has said.
International Relations, Politics, Nuclear Weapons, United Kingdom, United States
28 points by zabzonk 29 days ago | 10 comments
A CIA informant stopped Taiwan from developing nuclear weapons (cnn.com)
Taiwan, Nuclear Weapons, Intelligence, History, Cold War
16 points by cwwc 32 days ago | 12 comments
Minuteman III test showcases readiness of U.S. nuclear force's deterrent (stratcom.mil)
A joint team of Air Force Global Strike Command Airmen launched an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile equipped with a single telemetered joint test assembly re-entry vehicle Feb. 19 at 1 a.m. Pacific Time from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California.
Military, Nuclear Weapons, United States, Deterrence
56 points by ChrisArchitect 43 days ago | 113 comments
Managers given 200 characters to justify not firing nuclear regulators (npr.org)
Scenes of confusion and chaos unfolded over the last two days at the civilian agency that oversees the nation's nuclear weapons stockpile, as the Trump administration's mass firings were carried out before being "paused" on Friday.
Politics, Nuclear Weapons, Trump Administration
146 points by seo-speedwagon 46 days ago | 165 comments
Dismissed nuclear bomb specialists recalled by Energy Department (fortune.com)
Nuclear Weapons, Government, Energy, Security
12 points by an_guy 47 days ago | 0 comments
Trump officials fired nuclear staff not realizing they oversee US nuclear arms (cnn.com)
Politics, Nuclear Weapons, United States
66 points by sklargh 48 days ago | 13 comments
The Hell Bomb by William L. Laurence (1951) (gutenberg.org)
Nuclear Weapons, History, Books
3 points by petethomas 64 days ago | 0 comments
Nuclear Proliferation and the "Nth Country Experiment" (nsarchive.gwu.edu)
Washington, D.C., January 23, 2025 - Today, the National Security Archive publishes newly declassified information on a secret mid-1960s project in which a handful of young physicists at Lawrence Livermore Laboratory produced a design for a “credible nuclear weapon” based only on unclassified, open-source information and in just three years.
Nuclear Weapons, Cold War, History, Science, Research
39 points by nabla9 69 days ago | 8 comments
The U.S. Government Just Declassified Cold War-Era Docs About DIY Nukes (gizmodo.com)
The National Security Archive has published recently declassified documents related to the “Nth Country Project,” a Cold War era experiment involving a DIY nuclear weapons project.
Cold War, Government, Nuclear Weapons, History, Declassification
7 points by rntn 69 days ago | 0 comments
Yakuza Leader Pleads Guilty to Nuclear Materials Trafficking and Weapons Charges (justice.gov)
Takeshi Ebisawa, 60, of Japan, pleaded guilty in Manhattan, New York, today to conspiring with a network of associates to traffic nuclear materials, including uranium and weapons-grade plutonium, from Burma to other countries, as well as to international narcotics trafficking and weapons charges.
Nuclear Weapons, International Crime, Japan, Organized Crime, International Relations
8 points by impish9208 85 days ago | 0 comments
Jimmy Carter helped avert nuclear disaster near Canada's capital (cbc.ca)
Jimmy Carter, Nuclear Weapons, Canada, History, Politics
12 points by fluorine 95 days ago | 0 comments
W54 (wikipedia.org)
The W54 (also known as the Mark 54 or B54) was a tactical nuclear warhead developed by the United States in the late 1950s.
Nuclear Weapons, Military History, Cold War
46 points by thunderbong 106 days ago | 33 comments
Nuclear bunker sales increase, despite warnings they won't provide protection (npr.org)
Global security leaders are warning nuclear threats are growing as weapons spending surged to $91.4 billion last year. At the same time, private bunker sales are on the rise globally, from small metal boxes to crawl inside of to extravagant underground mansions.
Nuclear Weapons, Security, Business, News
15 points by belter 107 days ago | 31 comments
Atoms for Peace: Learning to Love the Bomb (historytoday.com)
In 1969, North Yorkshire was unknowingly under siege. The market towns of Pickering and Whitby faced a looming existential threat: a nuclear bomb.
Nuclear Weapons, History, Cold War
19 points by Hooke 118 days ago | 10 comments
Vasily Arkhipov (wikipedia.org)
Vasily Aleksandrovich Arkhipov (Russian: Василий Александрович Архипов, IPA: [vɐˈsʲilʲɪj ɐlʲɪkˈsandrəvʲɪtɕ arˈxʲipəf], 30 January 1926 – 19 August 1998) was a senior Soviet Naval officer who prevented a Russian submarine from launching a nuclear torpedo against ships of the United States Navy at a crucial moment in the Cuban Missile Crisis of October 1962.
Cold War, History, Military, Nuclear Weapons, Russia
3 points by tempestn 122 days ago | 0 comments
Russian ballistic missile attack on Ukraine portends new era of warfare (arstechnica.com)
Two days ago, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a change in the country's policy for employing nuclear weapons in conflict. Then, on Thursday, Russia attacked the Ukrainian city of Dnipro with a new type of ballistic missile capable of one day delivering multiple nuclear warheads to distant targets with little warning.
Russia, War, Military Technology, Nuclear Weapons, Ukraine
10 points by burnt-resistor 132 days ago | 3 comments
DoD Adjusts Nuclear Deterrence Strategy as Nuclear Peer Adversaries Escalate (defense.gov)
Multiple nuclear peer adversaries challenge the U.S. and its allies' and partners' security, according to the Defense Department.
Nuclear Weapons, Military Strategy, International Relations, Geopolitics
13 points by ironyman 132 days ago | 17 comments
First Ever Recorded Use of ICBM in War (funker530.com)
War, Military, History, Nuclear Weapons
12 points by seanw444 133 days ago | 17 comments
The meme-ification of the “Demon Core” (doomsdaymachines.net)
On May 21, 1946, the Canadian physicist Louis Slotin was demonstrating to several other Los Alamos scientists how to do a criticality experiment.
Physics, History, Nuclear Weapons
400 points by SaberTail 134 days ago | 288 comments