Arms Control

MSNBC On Nuclear Weapons Reduction Efforts August 13, 2013

By Hans M. Kristensen MSNBC used FAS data on the world nuke arsenals in an interview with Ploughshares Fund president…

Russian Missile Test Creates Confusion and Opposition in Washington July 3, 2013

The recent test-launch of a modified Russian ballistic missile has nuclear arms reduction opponents up in arms with claims that Russia is fielding a new missile…

New Nuclear Weapons Employment Guidance Puts Obama’s Fingerprint on Nuclear Weapons Policy and Strategy June 20, 2013

By Hans M. Kristensen President Barack Obama’s Berlin speech failed to capture the nuclear disarmament spirit of the Prague speech…

SIPRI Yearbook 2013 Published June 3, 2013

By Hans M. Kristensen The Swedish International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) today published the 2013 issue of the SIPRI Yearbook. I’m coauthor…

PREPCOM Nuclear Weapons De-Alerting Briefing April 25, 2013

By Hans M. Kristensen Greetings from Geneva! I’m at the Palais des Nations for the second Preparatory Committee (PREPCOM) meeting for the 2015…

Better Understanding North Korea: Q&A with Seven East Asian Experts, Part 2 April 17, 2013

Editor’s Note: This is the second of two postings of a Q&A conducted primarily by the Federation of American Scientists regarding the current situation on the Korean Peninsula. Developed and edited by Charles P. Blair, Mark Jansson, and Devin H. Ellis, the authors’ responses have not been edited; all views expressed by these subject-matter experts are their own. Please note that additional terms are used to refer to North Korea and South Korea, i.e., the DPRK and ROK respectively. Researchers from the Federation of American Scientists (FAS) asked seven individuals who are experts in East Asia about the the recent escalation in tensions on the Korean Peninsula. Is North Korea’s recent success with its nuclear test and satellite launch evidence that it is maturing? Is there trepidation in Japan over the perceived threat of North Korea attacking Japan with a nuclear weapon? Has North Korea mastered re-entry vehicle (RV) technology? Is there any plausible way to de-nuclearize North Korea? This is the second part of the Q&A, featuring Dr. Yousaf Butt, Dr. Jacques Hymans and Ms. Masako Toki. Read the first part here.

Better Understanding North Korea: Q&A with Seven East Asian Experts, Part 1 April 15, 2013

Researchers from the Federation of American Scientists (FAS) asked seven individuals who are experts in East Asia about the the recent escalation in tensions on the Korean Peninsula. Is North Korea serious about their threats and are we on the brink of war? What influence does China exert over DPRK, and what influence is China wiling to exert over the DPRK? How does the increase in tension affect South Korean President Park Guen-he’s political agenda? This is the first part of the Q&A featuring Dr. Ted Galen Carpenter, Dr. Balbina Hwang, Ms. Duyeon Kim and Dr. Leon Sigal.

New START Data: US Reductions Finally Picking Up; Russia Flatlining April 3, 2013

By Hans M. Kristensen After two years of stalling, the latest New START Treaty aggregate data released today by the State Department indicates that…

Invitation to Debate on Nuclear Weapons Reductions February 27, 2013

Nuclear Debate at the Big 1800 Tonight .By Hans M. Kristensen Tonight I’ll be debating additional nuclear weapons reductions with former Assistant Secretary of…

(Still) Secret US Nuclear Weapons Stockpile Reduced February 26, 2013

The United States has unilaterally reduced the size of its nuclear weapons stockpile by nearly 500 warheads since 2009. By Hans M. Kristensen The United States has quietly reduced its…