FAS

Navy Declassification Policy

09.05.06 | 1 min read | Text by Steven Aftergood

Detailed information on U.S. Navy policy regarding declassification of 25 year old documents is presented in a new Navy Instruction.

Along with policy and procedures, the document provides an extensive listing of Navy programs and systems that may be subject to declassification.

The Instruction is marked For Official Use Only. A copy was obtained by Secrecy News.

See “Declassification of 25 Year Old DON Information,” OPNAVINST 5513.16B, August 2, 2006 (72 pages in an unnecessarily large 30 MB PDF file).

See, relatedly, “Department of the Navy Classification Guides” (pdf), OPNAVINST 5513.1F, December 7, 2005.

See also “Limitations on Public Release and Disclosure of Information About Improvised Explosive Device Efforts” (pdf), Secretary of the Navy, April 2006.

publications
See all publications
Government Capacity
Policy Memo
We Need a U.S. Permitting Corps: Executive and Legislative Recommendations

Despite significant political momentum behind reform efforts, limited attention has been paid to the federal workforce that will actually be responsible for interpreting and implementing new permitting regulations and better outcomes.

07.08.26 | 10 min read
read more
Environment
Press release
Amid Sweltering Weather, the Federation of American Scientists Releases Expert-Sourced “State and Local Heat Policy Agenda”

Nearly 150 organizations and government officials have endorsed the call to action and solutions for extreme heat, now public at HeatAgenda.US Washington, D.C. – July 7, 2026 – As millions of Americans continue to struggle to stay cool following one of the hottest Independence Day holidays on record, the Federation of American Scientists (FAS), one […]

07.07.26 | 3 min read
read more
Environment
Issue Brief
Policy Memo
The State and Local Heat Policy Agenda

Addressing rising heat will take all of us. Together, we can create heat-safe homes, workplaces, schools, childcare facilities, and communities – the backbone of a heat-ready nation.

07.07.26 | 5 min read
read more
Emerging Technology
day one project
Policy Memo
Securing Cell-Free Biomanufacturing as a Strategic National Capability

DNA synthesis and export controls remain the primary regulatory safeguards against de novo production of harmful biological agents, yet governance frameworks lack the situational awareness and enforcement capacity to keep pace with rapidly falling technical barriers.

07.02.26 | 11 min read
read more