SECRECY NEWS
from the FAS Project on Government Secrecy
Volume 2017, Issue No. 49
June 27, 2017

Secrecy News Blog: https://fas.org/blogs/secrecy/

BALLISTIC MISSILE TECHNOLOGY ADVANCES, PROLIFERATES

Across the globe, "Adversary ballistic missile systems are becoming more mobile, survivable, reliable, and accurate while also achieving longer ranges."

So concludes a new report from U.S. Department of Defense intelligence agencies entitled Ballistic and Cruise Missile Threats 2017.

The report provides an updated catalog of unclassified information on current and projected foreign ballistic and cruise missile systems.

The new report was first obtained and reported by Bloomberg News. See "Missile Threats Surging Worldwide, DOD Study Finds" by Tony Capaccio and Larry Liebert, June 26, 2017.

"Over 20 countries have ballistic missile systems, and missiles likely will be a threat in future conflicts involving US forces," the report stated.

"Ballistic missiles have been used in several conflicts over the last 30 years, including the Iran-Iraq war, the Afghan civil war, the war in Yemen, the 1991 and 2003 Persian Gulf conflicts, the Russian military actions in Chechnya and Georgia, and most recently in the conflicts in Syria and the Ukraine. Russia used cruise missiles for the first time during the conflict in Syria."

US-CHINA SCIENTIFIC COOPERATION "MUTUALLY BENEFICIAL"

The US and China have successfully carried out a wide range of cooperative science and technology projects in recent years, the State Department told Congress last year in a newly released report.

Joint programs between government agencies on topics ranging from pest control to elephant conservation to clean energy evidently worked to the benefit of both countries.

"Science and technology engagement with the United States continues to be highly valued by the Chinese government," the report said.

At the same time, "Cooperative activities also accelerated scientific progress in the United States and provided significant direct benefit to a range of U.S. technical agencies."

The 2016 biennial report to Congress, released last week under the Freedom of Information Act, describes programs that were ongoing in 2014-2015.

See Implementation of Agreement between the United States and China on Science and Technology, report to Congress, US Department of State, April 2016.

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Secrecy News is written by Steven Aftergood and published by the Federation of American Scientists.

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