N. Korean Official: Nuke Tests, Missile Launches to Continue

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said after supervising Wednesday's launches that the country now had the capability to attack USA interests in the Pacific, official media reported. (Read more)

Putin Praises 'All-Embracing' Partnership of Russia, China

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday emphasized economic ties with China and praised what he called Russia's "all-embracing and strategic partnership" with its neighbor, during a visit to Beijing that takes place against the background of a drop in trade and lingering mistrust. While ambitious hopes for closer economic cooperation haven't materialized, Russia and China have bolstered their military ties, which have included joint war games and contacts on missile defense. (Read more...)

Russia to deploy Iskander missiles in Europe

According to the country's official and former Black Sea fleet chief Vladimir Komoyedov, Moscow is planning to send its nuclear capable Iskander missile systems to Kaliningrad. "Kaliningrad is our frontline in the west, the main base of the Baltic fleet, which is pressured by the NATO states from all sides. Our plans to deploy the Iskander systems there have been announced several times", Komoyedov said in an interview with Interfax, according to Deutsche Welle. These missile systems are capable of hitting targets located 500 kilometres away from the launch site. (Read more)

Emerging Technologies, Emerging Surprises...

Today, the world may face some surprises due a number of emerging technological advances that could significantly lower the barriers to the development of nuclear arms.

In particular, additive manufacturing of machine parts, such as those needed for uranium-enrichment centrifuges and missile engines—and the use of lasers to enrich uranium may create new pathways to more-rapid development of nuclear weapons and the systems necessary for their delivery.

It may only be a few years, if that, before additive manufacturing is widely adopted. Although laser enrichment has not been commercialized, it may be adapted before long for enriching uranium on the smaller scale needed for a nuclear weapons program.

(Read more)

Additive Manufacturing for the US Navy’s Fleet Ballistic Missile program

With many of the companies that are designing and manufacturing weapons for the military using more and more Additive Manufacturing (AM) systems in their workflow, it was only a matter of time until 3D printed components made their way into arms and weapons.

Of course all we know that NASA and the US military have used 3D printed components to successfully test advanced prototype airplanes, spacecraft and even ground vehicles... But there aren't many more mission- and life-critical systems than a submarined nuclear ballistic missile.

This week, for the first time, a 3D printed component was used in a test flight for the new, high-tech upgrade to the US Navy’s Fleet Ballistic Missile program.  The component was designed and fabricated entirely using 3D design and 3D printing, a process that allowed Lockheed Martin engineers to produce the part in half the time it would take traditional methods.

(Read more)

Additive Manufacturing: "Imagine the Possibilities"

Additive Manufacturing allows engineers to create complex geometries out of polymers, metals, and composites that are not possible through traditional manufacturing techniques.

Logisticians are seriously looking at Additive Manufacturing, which promises to allow the military to print parts in-theatre, significantly reducing the burden on the supply chain.

Rear Admiral Vincent Griffith, Director of DLA Logistics Operations at the Defense Logistics Agency is excited about the possibilities additive manufacturing offers: “One area that strikes a chord with DLA is 3D printing, because of the potential additive manufacturing has for helping us obtain obsolete and hard-to-source parts for the more than 2,400 weapon systems we support. Additive manufacturing is a fairly new concept, but we’re thinking big. We want to expand our additive manufacturing parts catalog for integration into the supply system; produce approved critical safety item parts; establish and maintain a parts-on-demand capability; and have a library of Technical Data Packages with 3D models to enable faster production.”

(Read More)

El Grupo Integral abre centro de Manufactura Aditiva en Barcelona

El Grupo Integral abre un centro de Manufactura Aditiva en Barcelona

Mañana Jueves 11 de febrero el Grupo Integral Innovation Solutions abre al público su nuevo centro de Manufactura Aditiva, ubicado en un nuevo local anexo a sus oficinas centrales de Barcelona ( Plaza de Josep Pallach nº 4 ). Durante la jornada inaugural se ofrecerán ponencias en las que se analizará el estado actual de la manufactura aditiva, y se podrán ver trabajando diversas impresoras 3D y sistemas de producción 3D.

Más información: http://integralplm.com/es/empresa/showroom-impresion-3d/

China: Rail-Mobile ICBM DF-41 Test

China’s Defense Ministry confirmed on Thursday 31th that its military recently conducted a test of a new rail-mobile ICBM capable of hitting any part of the United States with up to 10 nuclear warheads.

With a believed top speed of 30.000 Km/H and a range of up to 12.000 Km, the DF-41 competes directly with the US LGM-30 Minuteman which has a reported range of 13.000 km and a top speed of 24.000 Km/H.

Pentagon: Additive Manufacturing for ICBM Programs

The Pentagon has released a solicitation to identify and develop cost effective Additive Manufacturing materials, processes, and techniques sufficient to prototype and produce future components supporting current and future ICBM programs.

Specific areas to address for maximum future benefit include reducing the cost to manufacture structural parts, reducing the mass or fabrication cost of complex components, or creating an in-house capability for depots and maintenance personnel to manufacture spares on-demand.

Also of interest are concepts for adding extra functionality to existing parts such as printed circuit boards with integrated shielding with the end goal of creating production parts which are inherently hardened without a requirement for additional external shielding to reduce parts count, material, and mass.

Regardless of the material, approach, or component proposed for improvement, the final product must meet or exceed all of the technical specifications of the current component or system i.e. structural loads, operating/survival temperature, radiation shielding, EMI/EMC, vacuum compatibility, launch/flight loads, storage requirements, etc.

More info: https://www.sbir.gov/sbirsearch/detail/870297

The Truth About 3-D Printing and Nuclear Proliferation

In a recent article, Amy Nelson (Stanton Nuclear Security Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations) analyzes the level of risk of Nuclear Proliferation as a result of Additive Manufacturing proliferation. Read the full article through this link: 

http://www.cfr.org/proliferation/truth-3-d-printing-nuclear-proliferation/p37372