http://defensetech.org/2006/08/02/dazed-and-confused-by-rrw-part-2/ The Future of the Military, Law Enforcement and National Security Fri, 10 Feb 2012 10:29:34 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 http://defensetech.org/2006/08/02/dazed-and-confused-by-rrw-part-2/#comment-134576 Home Fri, 15 Aug 2008 08:42:34 +0000 http://deftech.usmilblog.com/?p=2067#comment-134576 While some members of the stockpile policy community argue that something like change-control discipline can be applied to nuclear components, too, others believe that if any modification is going to be made to the nuclear explosives package, a broader set of changes has to be made to the warhead design try to offset any possible drop in the performance of those modified components. While some members of the stockpile policy community argue that something like change-control discipline can be applied to nuclear components, too, others believe that if any modification is going to be made to the nuclear explosives package, a broader set of changes has to be made to the warhead design try to offset any possible drop in the performance of those modified components.

]]> http://defensetech.org/2006/08/02/dazed-and-confused-by-rrw-part-2/#comment-134575 Robot.Economist Wed, 02 Aug 2006 14:26:12 +0000 http://deftech.usmilblog.com/?p=2067#comment-134575 Not Really - You would think this is another example of the Bush administration sidestepping the law, but I'm not convinced it is. The Bush administration has shown so little leadership of the issue of nuclear weapons and has basically left the issue up to Congress and DOD bureaucrats. Congress has a natural interest in restarting weapons production programs because they are subject to lobbying from former nuclear weapons labs. DOD bureaucrats and uniforms are naturally inclined to maximize any spending on weapons systems. This is amplified by the fact that couching a pet R&D project at the Pentagon in the "transformational rhetoric" has become a powerful way of winning budget dollars. With a recent exception (nuclear bunkerbusting in Iran), Bush has shown little engagement in nuclear weapons one way or the other. He hasn't dramatically boosted spending on nuclear forces or really gotten behind the RRW publically. He also pushed Clinton-era plans to reduce deployed nuclear forces. At the same time, however, John Bolton's tenure at the State Department saw the end of US involvement in multilateral disarmament. Sure, Bush signed a reduction treaty with Putin, but SORT is flimsy at best. If Bush put as much energy into the RRW and stockpile stewardship as he puts into missile defense, then we should be worried about the potential for executive overreach. Not Really — You would think this is another example of the Bush administration sidestepping the law, but I’m not convinced it is. The Bush administration has shown so little leadership of the issue of nuclear weapons and has basically left the issue up to Congress and DOD bureaucrats.
Congress has a natural interest in restarting weapons production programs because they are subject to lobbying from former nuclear weapons labs. DOD bureaucrats and uniforms are naturally inclined to maximize any spending on weapons systems. This is amplified by the fact that couching a pet R&D project at the Pentagon in the “transformational rhetoric” has become a powerful way of winning budget dollars.
With a recent exception (nuclear bunkerbusting in Iran), Bush has shown little engagement in nuclear weapons one way or the other. He hasn’t dramatically boosted spending on nuclear forces or really gotten behind the RRW publically. He also pushed Clinton-era plans to reduce deployed nuclear forces. At the same time, however, John Bolton’s tenure at the State Department saw the end of US involvement in multilateral disarmament. Sure, Bush signed a reduction treaty with Putin, but SORT is flimsy at best.
If Bush put as much energy into the RRW and stockpile stewardship as he puts into missile defense, then we should be worried about the potential for executive overreach.

]]> http://defensetech.org/2006/08/02/dazed-and-confused-by-rrw-part-2/#comment-134574 Not Really Wed, 02 Aug 2006 14:08:47 +0000 http://deftech.usmilblog.com/?p=2067#comment-134574 > Almost immediately, rumors began to > circulate that the Department of > Defense intended to use RRW as an > opportunity to expand the capabilities > of the U.S. nuclear arsenal > Almost immediately, rumors began to
> circulate that the Department of
> Defense intended to use RRW as an
> opportunity to expand the capabilities
> of the U.S. nuclear arsenal

]]> http://defensetech.org/2006/08/02/dazed-and-confused-by-rrw-part-2/#comment-134573 fronten Wed, 02 Aug 2006 13:32:07 +0000 http://deftech.usmilblog.com/?p=2067#comment-134573 Staff, you are performing better than the original author.. ;) st least in quantity.. go on with it! Staff, you are performing better than the original author.. ;)
st least in quantity..
go on with it!

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