Hans M. Kristensen

Hans M. Kristensen is the director of the Nuclear Information Project at the Federation of American Scientists where he provides the public with analysis and background information about the status of nuclear forces and the role of nuclear weapons. He is the co-author to the Nuclear Notebook in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists and the World Nuclear Forces chapter in the SIPRI Yearbook. Kristensen is a frequent advisor to the news media about the status and operations of the nuclear arsenals of the world's nine nuclear-armed states.

Recent Activity from Hans M. Kristensen

Nuclear Upgrades At Russian Bomber Base And Storage Site

Posted on Feb.25, 2019 in Nuclear Weapons, Russia by Hans M. Kristensen and Matt Korda

The Russian military has started upgrading nuclear weapons bunkers at Engels Air Base and the Saratov-63 central nuclear weapons storage facility in Saratov province. At Engels Air Base, satellite images show one of two bunkers in the weapons storage area has been exposed as part of apparent maintenance of the base’s nuclear weapons mission. The […]

Posted on Jan.21, 2019 in Arms Control, ballistic missiles, China, Nuclear Weapons by Hans M. Kristensen

By Hans M. Kristensen [Updated Jan 31, 2019] Earlier this month, the Chinese government outlet Global Times published a report that a People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force (PLARF) unit with the new DF-26 intermediate-range ballistic missile had carried out an exercise in the “Northwest China’s plateau and desert areas.” The article made vague references to a […]

Posted on Jan.17, 2019 in accountability, Arms Control, ballistic missiles, Congress, Drones, ICBM, Missile Defense, Nuclear, Nuclear Weapons, Satellite, Space by Matt Korda and Hans M. Kristensen

President Trump personally released the long-overdue Missile Defense Review today, and despite the document’s assertion that “Missile Defenses are Stabilizing,” the MDR promotes a posture that is anything but.

NNSA Plan Shows Nuclear Warhead Cost Increases and Expanded Production

Posted on Nov.05, 2018 in Nuclear Weapons, United States by Hans M. Kristensen

By Hans M. Kristensen NNSA has published the Stockpile Stewardship and Management Plan for Fiscal Year 2019, which updates the agency’s work on producing and maintaining the U.S. stockpile of nuclear warheads. The latest plan follows the broad outlines of last year’s plan but contains important changes. The new plan shows significant cost increases and […]

New START Numbers Show Importance of Extending Treaty

Posted on Oct.05, 2018 in Arms Control, Nuclear Weapons, Russia, United States by Hans M. Kristensen

By Hans M. Kristensen The latest New START treaty aggregate numbers published by the State Department earlier today show a slight increase in U.S. deployed strategic forces and a slight decrease in Russian deployed strategic forces over the past six months. The data shows that the United States and Russia as of September 1, 2018 […]

Russian ICBM Upgrade at Kozelsk

Posted on Sep.05, 2018 in Nuclear Weapons, Russia by Hans M. Kristensen

By Hans M. Kristensen New satellite photos show substantial upgrades of ICBM silos at the missile field near Kozelsk in western Russia. The images show that progress is well underway on at least half of the silos (possibly more) of the second regiment of the 28th Guards Missile Division from the Soviet-era SS-19 ICBM to […]

New Nuclear Notebook: Pakistani Nuclear Forces, 2018

Posted on Sep.04, 2018 in Nuclear Weapons, Pakistan by Hans M. Kristensen

By Hans M. Kristensen, Robert S. Norris, and Julia Diamond The latest FAS Nuclear Notebook has been published in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists: Pakistani nuclear forces, 2018 (direct link to PDF). We estimate that Pakistan by now has accumulated an arsenal of 140-150 nuclear warheads for delivery by short- and medium-range ballistic and […]

The Pentagon’s Annual Report on Chinese Military

Posted on Aug.17, 2018 in China, ICBM, Nuclear Weapons by Hans M. Kristensen

By Hans M. Kristensen [Updated August 21, 2018] The Pentagon’s annual report to Congress on China’s military and security developments has finally been published, several months later than previous volumes. Normally it takes about one month after the report is generated to be published. This year it took three times that long. The report covers […]

Russia Upgrades Nuclear Weapons Storage Site In Kaliningrad

Posted on Jun.18, 2018 in Nuclear Weapons, Russia by Hans M. Kristensen

By Hans M. Kristensen During the past two years, the Russian military has carried out a major renovation of what appears to be an active nuclear weapons storage site in the Kaliningrad region, about 50 kilometers from the Polish border. A Digital Globe satellite image purchased via Getty Images, and several other satellite images viewable […]

US SSBN Patrols Steady, But Mysterious Reduction In Pacific In 2017

Posted on May.24, 2018 in Nuclear Weapons, United States by Hans M. Kristensen

By Hans M. Kristensen Despite their age, U.S. nuclear ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs) continue to carry out strategic deterrent patrols at a steady rate of around 30 patrols per year, according to data obtained from the U.S. Navy under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) by the Federation of American Scientists’ Nuclear Information Project. Yet […]