NucleCast

In this episode of NucleCast, Adam Lowther interviews Whitney Jones .  She is the Director, Submarine Industrial Base (SIB) , a component of the  Navy’s (DON) Program Executive Office, Strategic Submarines (PEO SSBN) . about the workforce challenges in submarine construction. They discuss the unique challenges of building submarines, the need for skilled tradespeople, and the efforts to...

Jim Stokes, Director of Nuclear Policy at NATO , discusses NATO's nuclear policy and the nuclear mission in Europe.  He covers various topics, including the relevance of NATO nuclear policy, the role and implications of the Nuclear Planning Group (NPG) , efforts to improve the NATO deterrent, the policy issue of establishing an adversary, challenges for allies in nuclear policy, NATO's approa...

Brigadier General Bill Murphy discusses the importance of the Nuclear Command, Control, and Communications (NC3) system and their role in strategic deterrence. He explains that NC3 is a system of systems that ensures the President has command and control over nuclear forces and enables mission essential functions. General Murphy highlights the challenges of modernizing NC3 and the role of the NC3...

In this episode, Adam interviews Marcus Lea, the Deputy Associate Administrator for Management at the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) , about the importance of human capital and growing the workforce in the nuclear security field. They discuss recruitment and retention strategies, promoting the mission to potential candidates, inspiring youth to pursue STEM fields, partnerships wit...

In this episode, Zachary Kallenborn discusses the arguments made in his article on why a nuclear weapons ban would threaten humanity. He highlights that while nuclear weapons present an existential threat, there are other existential risks such as extreme biological weapons, planet killer asteroids, artificial intelligence, and super volcanoes. Removing nuclear weapons could potentially lead to a...

In this episode of NucleCast, host Adam Lowther interviews Brendan Melley, Director, Center for the Study of Weapons of Mass Destruction  at the  Institute for National Strategic Studies . Melley discusses the role of the center and its sponsors, as well as its impact on policy. They also delve into the topic of deterring the use of chemical weapons and the challenges associated with it....

George Farfour, the Associate Dean of the School of Strategic Force Studies at the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT), focuses on the educational initiatives undertaken by the Air Force to improve the nuclear knowledge of airmen. Colonel Farfour explains the role of AFIT and its various departments in providing continuing education for airmen in nuclear and nuclear command control and commun...

Dr. Bruce Goodwin, a retired Senior Laboratory Fellow in the Center for Global Security Research of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory , discusses his publication ' Nuclear Weapons Technology 101 for Policy Wonks ' and the importance of understanding nuclear weapons design. He emphasizes the need for technical experts to communicate effectively with policy wonks and non-technical audiences...

Congressman Chris Stewart  discusses his experience in Congress and the dynamics of nuclear policy. He highlights the importance of committees and the role they play in shaping policy. He explains the responsibility of different committees for nuclear forces and the challenges of advocating for the nuclear arsenal as well as the debate between defense spending and other budget priorities. Chr...

Dr. Jim Howe, a consultant in the space industry, talks about nuclear propulsion in space. He discusses the history of nuclear propulsion, current developments, and the advantages of nuclear rockets. Dr. Howe highlights the need for continued bipartisan support and the importance of nuclear technology for domestic and terrestrial applications. He also emphasizes the potential of nuclear propulsion...

In this episode of NucleCast, host Adam Lowther interviews Joe Buff, an MIT-trained mathematician and author, about applying actuarial sciences to nuclear deterrence. The conversation explores the prediction of human behavior in deterrence, the application of actuarial sciences to improve deterrence strategies, and the importance of vetting assumptions in deterrence models. Joe Buff also shares hi...

In this episode of NucleCast, guest Matthew Sermon , the Executive Director of the Program Executive Office Strategic Submarines , discusses the future of ballistic missile submarines. He describes the status of the future submarine program, the differences between the Ohio and Columbia class submarines, considerations for cost and schedule, challenges with the industrial base, additive manufactur...

In this episode of NucleCast, Adam interviews Bryan Bender , VP for Communication Strategy at SMI and a contributor to Politico magazine . They explore the barriers to entry and the challenges faced by young people interested in nuclear issues. The conversation delves into the perspectives of the arms control community and the concerns they have about the collapse of arms control frameworks. Takea...

Brad Gericke discusses international affairs and national security, specifically focusing on the situation leading up to the invasion of Ukraine by Russia. He shares his insights and assessments of the events and the consensus among intelligence agencies. Takeaways: The conversation explores the international affairs and national security context leading up to the invasion of Ukraine by Russia. Br...

Dr. Alex Littlefield discusses China's aspirations to become a regional and global hegemon, with a focus on its relationship with Taiwan. He explains China's historical claim to Taiwan and the cultural differences between the two regions. Dr. Littlefield also highlights China's expansionist goals beyond Taiwan and its desire to unify various groups under its leadership. He discusses the perception...

This episode features Dave Rehbein, a retired Army FA-52 nuclear officer, about the differences between tactical and strategic nuclear weapons. They discuss the misconception that all nuclear weapons are the same and explore the effects and scale of different types of nuclear weapons. They also touch on the importance of understanding radiation and fallout, as well as the potential scenarios in wh...

In this episode of NucleCast, the importance of professional writing and publishing in the military is discussed. The guests, Dr. Ernest Gunasekara-Rockwell and Dr. Laura Thurston-Goodrow, highlight the role of journals in bridging the gap between military and civilian academia. They emphasize the unique value of military professional journals in providing a platform for applied research and analy...

In this episode of Nuclecast, Adam Lowther interviews Kim Budil, Director of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). They discuss various topics related to LLNL's work in nuclear weapons design and modernization. The conversation covers the achievement of ignition, the recruitment and retention of talent, the role of the National Ignition Facility, workforce challenges, modernization and ma...

This is a rereleased episode from October 26, 2023. Rebecca Grant is a national security analyst based in Washington, DC and president of IRIS Independent Research , a small, woman-owned business specializing in defense and aerospace research and national security consulting. She has appeared on TV as an expert on national security for Fox News, Fox Business, and CNN . She is a series regular on T...

This is a rereleased episode from September 5th, 2023 . Thomas (Thom) Mason is the President and CEO of Triad National Security, LLC (Triad) and serves as the Director of Los Alamos National Laboratory. Most recently he was the Senior Vice President for Global Laboratory Operations at Battelle where he had responsibility for governance and strategy across the six National Laboratories that Battell...

This episode is a look back to December of 2022 with a reading of "Twas the Night Before Christmas". with Adam and Bob, the Genie. ANWA DC and NucleCast wish you a happy holiday season. "Twas the Night Before Christmas” was first published in 1823 in the Troy Sentinel newspaper with the name, “Account of a Visit From St. Nicholas." Socials: Follow on Twitter at @NucleCast Follow on LinkedIn: https...

In this episode of NucleCast, Adam Lowther interviews James Kraska, an expert in international maritime law, about the role of international law in shaping conflict. They discuss the history and impact of international law, its strengths and weaknesses, and its relevance in preventing conflict. They also examine the failures of international law in the cases of Ukraine and Taiwan, and the challeng...

With a decade of experience in the aerospace industry, Tyler currently serves as a Future Systems Integration Engineer at the ARES Corporation , dedicated to supporting NASA's Future Systems Project Office at the Kennedy Space Center . His journey began with his role as a 2M0X2 in the United States Air Force maintaining the Minuteman III Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) from 2014-2023. Ty...

Dr. Zachary S. Davis is a Senior Fellow at the Center for Global Security Research at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and a Research Professor at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California, where he teaches courses on counterproliferation. He has broad experience in intelligence and national security policy and has held senior positions in the executive and legislative branches o...

Alan B. Carr currently serves as a Program Manager and the Senior Historian for Los Alamos National Laboratory . During his tenure as a Laboratory historian, which began in 2003, Alan has produced several publications and lectures pertaining to the Manhattan Project , nuclear testing history, and the historical evolution of LANL . He has lectured for numerous professional organizations and has bee...