{"podcast":{"title":"NucleCast","slug":"nuclecast-5683481","podcast_index_feed_id":5683481,"rss_url":"https://media.rss.com/nuclecast-podcast/feed.xml","website_url":"https://anwadeter.org/nuclecast","image_url":"https://media.rss.com/nuclecast-podcast/20220906_080913_df164a03fda3e8e1747f616b6f87e3a6.jpg","author":"ANWA Deterrence Center","episode_count":272,"summary":"Welcome to NucleCast, the official podcast of the ANWA Deterrence Center. NucleCast is an engaging, educational podcast featuring a series of discussions and interviews with experts in nuclear policy, technology, and deterrence. The show is hosted by Dr. Adam Lowther, Strategic Advisor to the ANWA Deterrence Center and an expert on nuclear deterrence.","last_synced_at":"2026-06-16T14:17:31.449325+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/nuclecast-5683481"},"episode":{"title":"Maura Burns: Inside China’s Growing Nuclear Arsenal","slug":"maura-burns-inside-china-s-growing-nuclear-arsenal","published_at":"2026-06-02T04:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/nuclecast-5683481/maura-burns-inside-china-s-growing-nuclear-arsenal","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/nuclecast-5683481","url":"https://rss.com/podcasts/nuclecast-podcast/2874009","audio_url":"https://content.rss.com/episodes/151610/2874009/nuclecast-podcast/2026_05_31_23_41_43_5658d156-ce8d-4cc6-a0b6-fad5f563b266.mp3","summary":"In this episode of NucleCast , host Manolis Priniotakis sits down with former CIA executive Maura Burns to unpack China’s rapidly expanding nuclear capabilities and what they mean for global strategic stability. China is undertaking an unprecedented pace of nuclear modernization—building out its arsenal, advancing delivery systems, and investing in infrastructure that signals long-term strategic ambition. As Burns explains, Beijing’s actions often speak louder than its official doctrine, raising important questions about transparency, intent, and the future of deterrence. The conversation explores the drivers behind China’s nuclear buildup, including its pursuit of a more survivable and flexible nuclear triad, as well as emerging technologies such as MIRVs, hypersonic weapons, and fractional orbital bombardment systems. Burns also examines how China’s nuclear growth could reshape arms control paradigms, challenge existing deterrence frameworks, and increase pressure on global strategic stability. Maura Burns is a transformational enterprise executive who served as Chief Operating Officer of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)—the agency’s third-highest position—until her retirement in 2025, where she led global operations and drove strategic initiatives to modernize technology and strengthen organizational resilience. With more than 30 years of experience across nuclear energy and weapons systems, space and counterspace security, and biosecurity, she previously directed the Weapons and Counter-Proliferation Mission Center, leading a multidisciplinary team of over 500 experts to address emerging threats and advance international collaboration. Known for her transparent, collaborative leadership style, she has been a strong advocate for workforce development, successio…","meta_description":"In this episode of NucleCast , host Manolis Priniotakis sits down with former CIA executive Maura Burns to unpack China’s rapidly expanding nuclear capabi…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":2201,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/nuclecast-5683481/episodes/maura-burns-inside-china-s-growing-nuclear-arsenal/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/nuclecast-5683481/maura-burns-inside-china-s-growing-nuclear-arsenal.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}