U.S. Enhances Virginia-Class Nuclear Submarines

The recent U.S. efforts to enhance and reposition the Virginia-class nuclear submarines have focused primarily on expanding the platform's own capabilities. Certain batches of Virginia-class submarines are being reclassified from attack submarines (SSN) toward cruise missile submarines (SSGN), with the addition of the Virginia Payload Module (VPM) extending the hull and adding large-diameter vertical launch tubes, increasing the per-boat Tomahawk cruise missile payload from 12 to approximately 40, while also accommodating Conventional Prompt Strike hypersonic missiles and unmanned underwater vehicles. This modification directly fills the firepower gap left by the retiring Ohio-class SSGNs, positioning this submarine class as a covert, long-range conventional precision-strike node at sea. As nuclear-powered submarines, the Virgini...

2026-08-10

U.S. Navy Decommissions Nuclear Submarine USS San Juan; Kittery Shipyard in Maine Helped Extend Its Service Life

The U.S. Navy recently held a decommissioning ceremony for the USS San Juan, as the Los Angeles-class fast attack nuclear submarine officially departed the fleet at Naval Base Kitsap in Washington State after nearly four decades of service. Named after the capital of Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory, the San Juan was commissioned on August 6, 1988, and its decommissioning coinciding with its commissioning anniversary carries notable symbolic significance. The San Juan had an important connection with Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine. Approximately 15 years ago, the submarine entered the shipyard for a major engineering overhaul, completing critical overhaul work between 2010 and 2012. Photographs released by the U.S. Navy in 2011 showed shipyard workers completing the submarine's undocking one day ahead of schedule, reflecting the maintenance progress and shipyard support capabilities at the time.

2026-08-10

Container Non-Opening Inspection and Screening System Commissioned at Logistics Center in Moscow Oblast, Russia

According to the press service of the Moscow Oblast Ministry of Investment, Industry and Science, the Selyatino Transport and Logistics Center (TLC), located in the Naro-Fominsk urban district of Moscow Oblast, Russia, has installed a modern inspection and screening facility to improve the efficiency of container cargo inspection and the level of transport safety. The equipment enables rapid inspection of cargo inside containers without opening them, helping staff determine whether dangerous goods or related substances are present inside. Yekaterina Zinovieva, Deputy Prime Minister of Moscow Oblast and Minister of Investment, Industry and Science, stated that deploying such systems is one of the measures in the region to enhance the safety of cargo storage and transportation at container yards...

2026-08-07

U.S. Navy Virginia-class nuclear submarine USS Vermont departs Yokosuka on August 1

The U.S. Virginia-class nuclear submarine USS Vermont departed Yokosuka Port on August 1. The city of Yokosuka disclosed the information on August 3. It is reported that USS Vermont entered Yokosuka Port on July 24 and departed at 1:49 p.m. on August 1. This port call was for crew rest, resupply, and maintenance. USS Vermont is one of the Virginia-class nuclear submarines, with hull number SSN-792. This was the second time USS Vermont entered Yokosuka Port. The first visit was on December 9, 2024. The previous port call also focused on rest, resupply, and maintenance. Since the beginning of this year, seven U.S. nuclear-powered vessels have visited Yokosuka Port...

2026-08-04

Cambodian Customs Delegation Visits Jiangsu to Study Smart Customs and Scanning Inspection Technologies

The General Department of Customs and Excise of Cambodia recently organized a delegation for a working visit to Jiangsu Province, China, focusing on smart customs development and advanced scanning inspection technologies, with the aim of advancing Cambodia's customs modernization reform and digital transformation, enhancing trade facilitation and customs supervision capacity. According to the General Department of Customs and Excise of Cambodia, from July 27 to 31, Kun Nhem, Special Representative of the Cambodian Prime Minister and Director General of Customs and Excise, led a delegation to visit Jiangsu Province and conducted an inspection and exchange at Nuctech Company Limited. The visit was intended to understand the application of smart customs systems and customs inspection technologies in actual operations, in support of Cambodia's Customs Reform...

2026-08-03

Buried Cesium-137 Sealed Source Discovered by Texas Patrol Officer Near Roadside in Midland County

According to the Texas Department of Public Safety, a corporal with the department recently discovered a buried cesium-137 sealed radioactive source with an activity of 100 millicuries during a routine patrol near a roadway in Midland County. The incident resulted in no injuries or radiation contamination, and public safety was not threatened. On July 24 local time, the corporal, assigned to the department's Radioactive/Nuclear Threat Detection Section, was patrolling near South County Road 1210 when the vehicle-mounted radiation detection system activated. He then used other detection equipment to survey the surrounding area and traced the radiation signal to an underground location. To ensure safe disposal, he requested assistance from local, state, and federal...

2026-08-02

Follow-up consultations on ROK-US nuclear-powered submarine and nuclear cooperation agreement progress slowly

According to a South Korean diplomatic source on July 31, South Korea and the United States have yet to finalize the schedule for the second working-level consultation, and the follow-up talks originally planned for July have not yet taken place. The consultations are aimed at implementing the security-related agreements outlined in the joint statement issued at last year's summit between the two countries, including South Korea's introduction of nuclear-powered submarines and the revision of nuclear cooperation arrangements regarding uranium enrichment and spent nuclear fuel reprocessing. The two sides previously held their first working-level consultation in Seoul on the 2nd and 3rd of last month. U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Allison Hooker led a cross-agency delegation to South Korea at the time to discuss the implementation of the security agreement with the South Korean side. Observers...

2026-08-02

Henan Provincial Ecological Environment Monitoring and Safety Center Conducts Special Inspection on Nuclear and Radiation Safety in Wancheng District, Nanyang

From July 29 to 30, 2026, a research team from the Henan Provincial Ecological Environment Monitoring and Safety Center visited Wancheng District, Nanyang City, to conduct special supervision and inspection on nuclear and radiation safety for randomly selected nuclear technology utilization units within the jurisdiction, accompanied throughout by the Wancheng Branch of the Nanyang Municipal Ecological Environment Bureau. The inspection focused on aspects including institutional development, personnel management, on-site protection, equipment operation, ledger documentation, emergency management, testing and evaluation, and system data of radiation units, with emphasis on identifying radiation safety risks and hidden dangers. The inspection team conducted detailed verification of radiation safety license applications to confirm whether relevant units carried out radiation operations in accordance with laws and regulations; it also examined the establishment of radiation safety management organizations, job responsibility implementation, certification of radiation workers, annual training, and assessment management.

2026-08-02

Leidos Australia to Design Floating Dry Dock for Nuclear Submarines

Leidos Australia will design a floating dry dock for nuclear-powered submarines to support the maintenance and operational readiness of Australia's future fleet. This project is a key component of the optimal pathway under the AUKUS Pillar One, aimed at ensuring mission readiness, continuity, and resilience, leveraging Leidos' decades of expertise in submarine and maritime engineering. Under the oversight of the Australian Submarine Agency (ASA), this floating dry dock will become a vital part of the nation's naval infrastructure for nuclear submarines, enabling underwater system inspection, maintenance, and repair. The design is highly complex due to its involvement with specialized nuclear safety and security requirements. Leidos Gibbs & Cox...

2026-08-01

U.S. Navy Awards General Dynamics Electric Boat Contract for Construction of 14 Nuclear Submarines

General Dynamics Electric Boat announced that the U.S. Navy has awarded it a contract package for the construction of 14 nuclear submarines, with a total contract value of $76.6 billion. According to information released by the company, under this announced U.S. Navy contract framework, General Dynamics Electric Boat will receive $29.5 billion for the construction of five Columbia-class submarines, and an additional $42.1 billion for the construction of nine Virginia-class submarines. The contract also includes funding to support shipyard infrastructure construction. General Dynamics Electric Boat serves as the prime contractor for the program. A portion of the construction work will be subcontracted to Newport News Shipbuilding, a division of Huntington Ingalls Industries. ...

2026-08-01

U.S. Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Develops New Vacuum Attachment for Nuclear Fallout Collection

Nuclear nonproliferation researchers at Idaho National Laboratory (INL) have invented a specialized attachment compatible with commercial handheld vacuum cleaners, designed to safely and efficiently collect radioactive fallout generated after a nuclear explosion. The intense heat from a nuclear blast lifts ground debris into the atmosphere, where it melts and cools into radioactive glass beads less than 1 millimeter in diameter that fall back to the ground. In the past, nuclear experts undergoing training could only collect samples using brooms, dustpans, and ordinary household battery-powered vacuum cleaners, making manual containment difficult and posing extremely high radiation exposure risks. The INL team began producing prototypes with a thermoplastic 3D printer in 2017, and after multiple rounds of iteration, has now commissioned a company in American Falls, Idaho, to mass-produce the attachment using industrial-grade 3D printing, significantly improving durability.

2026-07-31

UK to Invest £8.4 Billion in Dreadnought-Class Nuclear Submarine Program

The UK Prime Minister's Office stated that the UK will announce an investment of £8.4 billion (over $11 billion) for the construction of four Dreadnought-class nuclear submarines, thereby launching the fourth phase of this submarine program. According to the relevant press release, this investment will be used to strengthen the UK's nuclear capability building and advance the continued implementation of the Dreadnought-class submarine project. Under the framework of the new phase, the first of the four nuclear submarines is expected to complete sea trials in the early 2030s and enter service with the Royal Navy. The UK Ministry of Defence previously released a long-term defense budget for the next four years at the end of June, planning to invest nearly £300 billion (approximately $400 billion) in various areas of the military-industrial complex. Data shows that £4.7 billion of this funding has yet to be secured, with specific funding sources to be determined in the autumn budget.

2026-07-31

U.S. Confirms Order for Nine Virginia-Class Block VI Nuclear Submarines

The U.S. Department of Defense has confirmed that it has signed a contract modification agreement with General Dynamics Electric Boat to order nine Virginia-class Block VI multi-purpose nuclear-powered submarines. The statement said the contract is an incentive-based modification, and the submarines will be used by the U.S. Navy. Despite delays in General Dynamics' previous orders, both parties have moved forward with this new contract. On July 15, U.S. President Donald Trump had asked the company's management to accelerate the construction progress of U.S. Navy submarines. In addition to the Virginia-class submarines, the U.S. Department of Defense has also ordered five Columbia-class Type II ballistic missile nuclear submarines from Newport News Shipbuilding. Under the contract arrangement, related work is expected to be completed before July 2038...

2026-07-31

"Targeted" Regulation of Facilities Handling Radiation: Chongren Pioneers an Innovative "Red-Yellow-Green" Tiered Control Mechanism

Chongren County, Jiangxi Province, has innovated its approach to radiation safety regulation by focusing on four key dimensions: system development, risk management and control, monitoring and early warning, and public outreach. These efforts have compreh

2026-07-27

Amentum Awarded $85 Million Contract to Provide Design Engineering Support for U.S. Navy Nuclear Infrastructure

On July 23, Amentum announced it had secured a three-year, $85 million contract to provide design and modernization support for infrastructure associated with the U.S. Navy’s nuclear propulsion program.Under the contract, Amentum will assist in

2026-07-27

The U.S. Department of Energy conditionally allocates HALEU fuel to NASA and Radiant.

On July 23, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced a conditional commitment to provide High-Assay Low-Enriched Uranium (HALEU) to NASA and Radiant Industries to meet near-term fuel needs. This marks the third round of HALEU allocations; the materia

2026-07-27

China Attends IAEA Meeting on the Implementation of the Code of Conduct on the Safety and Security of Radioactive Sources

From July 6 to July 10, 2026, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) convened the seventh meeting on the implementation of the *Code of Conduct on the Safety and Security of Radioactive Sources* (hereinafter referred to as the "Code") and

2026-07-27