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

Trump Administration Again Refuses To Disclose Nuclear Weapons Stockpile Size
Posted on Dec.03, 2020 in accountability, Arms Control, Disarmament, Government Secrecy, Nuclear Weapons, United States by

By Hans M. Kristensen The Trump administration has denied a request from the Federation of American Scientists to disclose the size of the US nuclear weapons stockpile and the number of dismantled warheads. The denial was made by the Department of Defense Formerly Restricted Data Declassification Working Group (FDR DWG)  in response to a petition […]

Read More

US Officials Give Confusing Comparisons Of US And Russian Nuclear Forces
Posted on Oct.22, 2020 in Arms Control, Nuclear Weapons, Russia, United States by and

By Hans M. Kristensen and Matt Korda October 22, 2020 [updated] In their effort to paint the New START treaty as insufficient and a bad deal for the United States and its allies, Trump administration official have recently made statements suggesting the treaty limits the US nuclear arsenal more than it limits the Russian arsenal. […]

Read More

At 11th Hour, New START Data Reaffirms Importance of Extending Treaty
Posted on Oct.01, 2020 in Arms Control, Nuclear Weapons, Russia, United States, Verification by

By Hans M. Kristensen Just four months before the New START treaty is set to expire, the latest set of so-called aggregate data published by the State Department shows the treaty is working and that both countries – despite tense military and political rhetoric – are keeping their vast strategic nuclear arsenals within the limits […]

Read More

Construction of New Underground Nuclear Warhead Facility At Warren AFB
Posted on Sep.28, 2020 in ICBM, Nuclear Weapons, United States by

By Hans M. Kristensen The Air Force has begun construction of a new underground nuclear weapons storage and handling facility at F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Cheyenne, Wyoming. The new Weapons Storage and Maintenance Facility (WSMF; sometimes called Weapons Generation Facility), which will replace the current Weapons Storage Area (WSA), will be a 90,000-square-foot […]

Read More

(The Other) Red Storm Rising: INDO-PACOM China Military Projection
Posted on Sep.15, 2020 in China, Nuclear Weapons, Pacific Ocean, United States by

Some Missile Numbers Do Not Match Recent DOD China Report By Hans M. Kristensen U.S. Indo-Pacific Command recently gave a briefing about the challenges the command sees in the region. The briefing says China is the “Greatest Threat to Global Order and Stability” and presents a set of maps that portray a massive Chinese military […]

Read More

The Pentagon’s 2020 China Report
Posted on Sep.01, 2020 in Uncategorized by and

By Hans M. Kristensen and Matt Korda (With table corrected for typos) The Pentagon has just released its long-awaited 2020 version of its annual report on China’s military developments. In this article, we review the elements concerning China’s nuclear forces. The Size of the Warhead Stockpile The biggest surprise in the new report is that […]

Read More