Latest news with #CenterforArmsControlandNon-Proliferation
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
FBI continues to track down plutonium allegedly sold by Hadley man
SPRINGFIELD — Federal investigators told a judge last week that they are continuing to assess what the customers who allegedly purchased small amounts of plutonium from a Hadley man did with the material. On April 22, a federal grand jury indicted Jacob Miller, 43, on charges of being a felon in possession of explosives and ammunition. Prosecutors said when investigators searched Miller's home, they found firearms, hazardous chemicals and radioactive materials, including plutonium taken from Soviet Union-era smoke detectors. Prosecutors said Miller ran an online business called Collect The Periodic Table. A website that appears to be connected with the enterprise lists a full periodic table for $140. A small amount of plutonium alone was listed for $500. The affidavit filed with the federal court in Springfield last week disclosed the FBI's ongoing investigation into the matter. Miller allegedly shipped out plutonium about 60 times between December 2020 and March 2025, FBI Special Agent Darrell Hunter said in the affidavit dated June 20. 'The defendant's distribution of Plutonium to a broad series of individuals, with no apparent vetting of these customers, poses a particular danger to public safety,' Hunter wrote. Miller, the affidavit said, shipped the material across the United States and out of the country. So far, only 10 of the customers gave the material they purchased from Miller to the FBI, Hunter said. 'The FBI's investigation into this matter, including the extent to which the defendant distributed Plutonium and what the defendant's customers did with the Plutonium, is continuing,' Hunter wrote. Reached for comment, a spokeswoman for the FBI referred questions to the U.S. Attorney's Office. A spokesperson at the U.S. Attorney's Office did not reply to a request for comment. John Gilbert, a senior science fellow at the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, while the small amounts allegedly sold by Miller is nowhere near the amount needed for a nuclear bomb, plutonium is deadly if handled incorrectly. If its powder is breathed in — even in small amounts — it causes 'extremely, extremely bad respiratory distress,' he said. Gilbert said it is unlikely the material prosecutors said came from smoke detectors was plutonium, as the Soviets 'needed all the plutonium they could get.' Rather, another radioactive element — americium — is good for use in smoke detectors, and it is not as dangerous, he said. The FBI said in its affidavit it is gathering the materials it obtained from Miller's customers 'for radiological testing.' Federal prosecutors filed the affidavit as part of their response to Miller's defense attorney, who requested Judge Katherine Robertson reconsider her order detaining Miller until his trial. Miller was detained after prosecutors said Miller moved materials from his home after the court said he could only reenter the home to retrieve personal care items, clothing and his cat. Miller's attorney, Charles Dolan, asked Robertson in a motion on June 13 to release his client 'under whatever conditions the Court may deem appropriate.' Miller, Dolan wrote, has been held since April 10 at a detention facility in Central Falls, Rhode Island, and has been unable to take his medication for obsessive-compulsive disorder and ADHD as his prescriptions are prohibited at the facility. His mental health has deteriorated as a result, Dolan wrote. Dolan did not return a request for comment. In response to the motion, prosecutors said Miller had a history of violating probation conditions, and they are continuing to investigate him for possession of child sex abuse images. Miller was previously convicted for possessing child pornography and explosives in separate cases in Hampshire Superior Court. Prosecutors also shared with the court a series of handwritten documents — including what prosecutors said appeared to a poem titled 'Bits and Pieces.' The 'defendant appears to have engaged in dangerous musings about blowing up friends and family in Hadley, among other subjects,' Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Breslow wrote in a memorandum. At a hearing Wednesday, Robertson decided that Miller would remain detained, according to the clerk's notes of the proceedings. Springfield brewery, cannabis store team up to offer downtown concert Springfield debates stricter laws to stop drug dealing near parks, schools following shutdown of trafficking operation Alliance for Digital Equity pushes for internet access for underserved on namesake day Judge: Case for Pittsfield woman suing car repo company can move to trial Read the original article on MassLive.
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First Post
4 days ago
- Politics
- First Post
Is Pakistan developing a nuclear intercontinental ballistic missile that could hit US?
The Pakistani military is reportedly building an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), capable of carrying nuclear warheads, that could reach the United States. The development, which has sparked concerns in Washington, would make Pakistan enter the select few nations that possess these long-range strategic missiles read more Pakistani military personnel stand beside a Shaheen III surface-to-surface ballistic missile during Pakistan Day military parade in Islamabad, Pakistan March 23, 2019. Image used for representational purpose/Reuters Pakistan is reportedly developing an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) with the capability to reach the United States. According to a report by Foreign Affairs, the Pakistani military's move has rung alarm bells in Washington. Currently, there are only a handful of countries, including the US and Russia, that possess the ICBM. If Pakistan is successful in developing the strategic nuclear missile, it would join the likes of these nations. Let's take a closer look. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD What are ICBMs? Intercontinental ballistic missiles, or ICBMs , are self-guided weapons to deliver nuclear warheads over long distances. Also known as strategic or long-range ballistic missiles, they can travel more than 5,500 kilometres. After being powered by a rocket, these missiles follow an unpowered trajectory toward their targets, as per the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation. The maximum range of ICBMs varies from 7,000 to 16,000 kilometres. This means some of these weapons can hit targets virtually anywhere in the world, according to the Federation of American Scientists. ICBMs can be launched in different ways – from underground missile silos, heavy trucks, mobile launchers on rails or submarines. Is Pakistan developing an ICBM? Pakistan is developing an ICBM to carry nuclear warheads that could reach the US, as per the Foreign Affairs report. If Pakistan acquires the long-range ballistic missile, 'Washington will have no choice but to treat the country as a nuclear adversary,' the report noted, citing US intelligence sources. 'Although Pakistan claims its nuclear programme is strictly focused on deterring India, which enjoys conventional military superiority, US intelligence agencies have concluded that the Pakistani military is developing an ICBM that could reach the continental United States,' it said. According to the piece, Pakistan's motive to develop such a weapon may be to deter the US from either attempting to eliminate its arsenal in a preventive attack or intervening on New Delhi's behalf in a future Indian-Pakistan conflict. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'Regardless, as US officials have noted, if Pakistan acquires an ICBM, Washington will have no choice but to treat the country as a nuclear adversary—no other country with ICBMs that can target the United States is considered a friend. In short, mounting nuclear dangers now lurk in every region of vital interest to the United States,' the report added. Pakistan's nuclear weapons programme kick-started in the early 1970s in the wake of regional tensions, especially after India's nuclear tests in May 1974. Within days of India's subsequent tests in May 1998, Pakistan launched a series of six nuclear tests, officially becoming a nuclear-armed state. As per an Al Jazeera report, Pakistan has more than 170 nuclear warheads. Which nations have ICBMs? Eight nations, including the US, China, France, Israel, Russia, India, the United Kingdom, and North Korea, have acquired intercontinental ballistic missiles, according to the Arms Control Association. The Titan Missile, shown from above during a tour of the 103-foot Titan II Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) site which was decommissioned in 1982, at the Titan Missile Museum in Sahuarita, Arizona, US, February 2, 2019. File Photo/Reuters India's homegrown Agni-5 ICBM successfully took its maiden test flight using the Multiple Independently-targetable Reentry Vehicle (MIRV) technology in March 2024. With this, India entered the league of a select group of countries that can put multiple warheads atop a single intercontinental ballistic missile. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In September 2024, China had said it carried out a test-firing of an intercontinental ballistic missile into international waters, drawing criticism from neighbouring nations. Last October, North Korea launched a new ICBM, which flew for 86 minutes – the longest flight recorded yet, towards waters off its eastern coast. With inputs from agencies
NBC News
19-06-2025
- Politics
- NBC News
What to know about Israel's nuclear weapons program
The Federation of American Scientists and the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, an independent international organization dedicated to researching arms control and disarmament, estimate that Israel has around 90 nuclear warheads. Due to Israel's official stance of ambiguity regarding its nuclear program, the organizations note the difficulties in determining the extent of the country's nuclear capabilities. "They are intentionally secretive about their nuclear capabilities and that's part of the policy that they follow," John Erath, senior policy director at the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, said in a phone interview Wednesday. He said that policy was likely in part to ensure Israel's "potential adversaries would not know what they can do in the event of a crisis." How it began Historical records suggest Israeli leaders had hoped to build a nuclear arsenal to help ensure the country's safety after it was founded in 1948 in the years after the Holocaust, according to the Jewish Virtual Library, an online encyclopedia published by the American foreign policy analyst Mitchell Bard's nonprofit organization American–Israeli Cooperative Enterprise. In a July 1969 declassified memo to President Richard Nixon, Secretary of State Henry Kissinger said that Israel had committed "not to be the first to introduce nuclear weapons into the Near East," when buying the U.S.' Phantom aircraft, though it has never been made clear precisely what that means. Mordechai Vanunu, a former Israeli nuclear technician who worked at Israel's atomic reactor in Dimona in the Negev Desert in the late 1960s and early 1970s, sent shock waves around the world when he disclosed details and photographs of the reactor to Britain's Sunday Times newspaper.
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First Post
10-05-2025
- Politics
- First Post
Pakistan fires Fatah-II: What are ballistic missiles? Does India have them?
Pakistan has escalated the attacks against India, launching the Fatah-II aimed at Delhi, which was intercepted by India. The ballistic missile is one of the latest entrants in Pakistan's arsenal with a range of up to 400 km. But what are these weapons? And what ballistic missiles does India have? read more Pakistan reportedly fired the Fatah-II ballistic missile at India, which was intercepted. Tensions between the two nations are escalating. Image courtesy: India is on high alert after Pakistan escalated attacks following Operation Sindoor. The Pakistan military announced that it has launched 'Operation Bunyan ul Marsoos', translating to firm foundation, against India. For a second night (on Friday), the neighbouring nation fired a series of drones and missiles at India, according to government sources. It fired a Fatah-II missile, but it was intercepted at Haryana's Sirsa. It was reportedly aimed at Delhi. Pakistan's Fatah-II is an indigenously developed long-range ballistic missile. What are these weapons, and what does India possess? We explain. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD What are ballistic missiles? Ballistic missiles are powered by a rocket or a series of rockets in stages. After this, they follow an unpowered trajectory before descending to hit their intended targets. These missiles carry nuclear or conventional warheads. They fly higher than artillery rockets and travel farther. They hit the ground with great speed because of gravity's pull. Ballistic missiles are categorised by the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, a Washington-based nonprofit research organisation, by the distance they can travel – short-range, medium-range, intermediate-range and long-range. Short-range ballistic missiles: They travel less than 1,000 kilometres and are also known as 'tactical' ballistic missiles. Medium-range ballistic missiles: They travel between 1,000 and 3,000 kilometres and are also known as 'theatre' ballistic missiles. Intermediate-range ballistic missiles: The range is between 3,000 and 5,500 kilometres (approximately 1,860-3,410 miles) Long-range ballistic missiles: They travel more than 5,500 kilometres and are also known as intercontinental or strategic ballistic missiles. Intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) can fly much further than the minimum range. A truck carrying a short-range surface-to-surface Agni ballistic missile during India's Republic Day parade in New Delhi. File photo/AFP What is the range of the Fatah-II ballistic missile? The Fatah-II is a new entrant in Pakistan's arsenal and is the successor to Fatah-I. It has a longer range and is more precise. The rocket is 'equipped with state-of-the-art avionics, sophisticated navigation system, and unique flight trajectory,' according to Pakistan. It can hit targets within a 400 km range, and this range allows it to eliminate the enemy's air defence systems. The precision of the Fatah-II comes from a combination of inertial and satellite navigation systems. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The test-firing of Fatah-11 in Pakistan on December 27, 2023. ISPR/Screenshot Fatah-II can carry conventional warheads and is designed to strike military positions and radar installations. It has a terminal guidance system which helps it adjust its path in the final phase of the flight. It uses inertial navigation combined with satellite guidance for mid-course correction, reports The Economic Times. While India intercepted the missile launched at Delhi, it can take out targets like India's S-400 air defence systems, according to a report by The Diplomat. How do ballistic missiles like Fatah-II work? Ballistic missiles are launched from platforms like silos, mobile land-based launchers, aircraft, ships and submarines. According to the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation, ballistic missiles have three stages of flight. The boost phase, which lasts three to five minutes, starts with the launch and stops when the rocket engine stops firing. In the midcourse phase, the missile begins to ascend toward the highest point in its trajectory and then starts moving toward the ground. This is the longest phase and can last up to 20 minutes for ICBMs. The terminal Phase begins when the detached warhead reenters the Earth's atmosphere and ends upon impact or detonation. During this phase, which can last less than a minute, strategic warheads travel at speeds greater than 3,200 kilometres per hour, according to the research organisation. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD What ballistic missiles does India have? India has several effective ballistic missiles in its arsenal, which it needs against its main rivals, Pakistan and China. India's short-range ballistic missiles include Prithvi I and Prithvi II, with a range of 150 km and 350 km, respectively. The Dhanush missile is another short-range, ship-launched ballistic missile and the third variant of the Prithvi missile family. In this handout photograph from the Ministry of Defence, taken on May 23, 2008, the Prithvi surface-to-surface missile is launched during a test at Chandipur in Odisha. File photo/AFP The Prahaar is a short-range, solid propellant, road-mobile ballistic missile designed for tactical strikes against close-range targets. Agni-I is also a short-range missile which can hit targets up to 700 km. In the medium range, India boasts of Agni-II, which can travel up to 2,000 km, while the Agni-III is an intermediate-range ballistic missile with a range of 3,000 to 3,500 km. The Agni-IV is an upgrade with a range of 4,000 km. India also has an ICBM, the Agni-V, with a range of over 5,000 km. This handout photograph released by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) shows the launch of an Agni V intercontinental ballistic missile at Wheeler Island, in Odisha on September 15, 2013. File photo/AFP How different are ballistic missiles from cruise missiles? Cruise missiles are unmanned vehicles that are propelled by jet engines and can be launched from ground, air or sea platforms, according to the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation. Such missiles are self-guided and use multiple methods to accurately hit the target. These include terrain mapping, GPS and inertial guidance, using motion sensors and gyroscopes to keep the missile on a pre-programmed flight path. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD As advanced cruise missiles approach their target, remote operators can use a camera in the nose of the missile to see what the missile sees. This gives them the option to manually guide the missile to its target or to abort the strike. India's BrahMos is a supersonic cruise missile and operates near the 3 Mach speed in the cruise phase. The cruising altitude is up to 15 km, and the terminal altitude is as low as 10 metres. The missile carries a conventional warhead weighing 200-300 kg. With inputs from agencies
