Russia has 3,700-5,400 nonstrategic nuclear weapons, including the old dual-capable AS-4 Kitchen air-launched missile seen here under the wings of a Tu-22 Backfire bomber at an unknown airbase. All Russian nonstrategic warheads are in central storage. Image: web . By Hans M. Kristensen The latest Nuclear Notebook in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists with […]
Ten NATO countries recommend increasing transparency of non-strategic nuclear weapons, including numbers and locations at military facilities such as Incirlik Air Base in Turkey. Neither NATO nor Russia currently disclose such information. . By Hans M. Kristensen Four NATO countries supported by six others have proposed a series of steps that NATO and Russia should […]
U.S. officials say that aggregate numbers of the New START treaty will be made publicly available but that these may be very general numbers and a decision still has to be made. For a copy of the final START aggregate numbers, click here. . By Hans M. Kristensen The first data exchange of the New […]
By Hans M. Kristensen The Center on National Security and the Law and the Federal Legislation and Administrative Clinic co-hosted an event at Georgetown University Law Center on Tuesday, March 1st: Next Steps after New START: A Treaty on Tactical Nuclear Weapons. The event included a keynote speech by Edward Warner, the Senior Advisor to the under […]
By Hans M. Kristensen The January 2011 issue of Air Force Magazine has a nice spread on the Chart Page where they reproduce a chart I produced of U.S. and Russian nuclear warhead inventories. The chart is the product of the research and public education I do about the status of nuclear forces in collaboration […]
The New START treaty is in the bag, approved by the US Congress and Russian Duma. . By Hans M. Kristensen The upper house of the Russian Parliament (Duma) earlier today approved the New START treaty signed by presidents Medvedev and Obama in Prague on April 8, 2010. This follows approval of the treaty by […]
By Hans M. Kristensen The Federation of American Scientists today applauded the Senate’s ratification of the New START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) between the United States and Russia. The Senate voted 71 to 26 in favor of ratification of the treaty. The approval of the treaty is a victory for common sense and an impressive achievement […]
PDUSPD Jim Miller appears to confirm FAS/NRDC estimates for NATO and Russia tactical nuclear weapons. By Hans M. Kristensen A Wikileaks document briefly posted by The Guardian Monday appears to give an official number for the U.S. nuclear weapons deployed in Europe: 180. The number appears in a leaked cable written by U.S. NATO Ambassador […]
Morton Halperin speaks at CSIS By Hans M. Kristensen Kevin Kallmyer at CSIS has an interesting recap of a recent debate between Paula DeSutter and Mort Halperin about the New START Treaty. Ratification of the treaty is held up in Congress by a handful of Senators who (mis)use questions about, among other issues, verification to […]
NATO General Secretary Anders Fogh Rasmussen presents the alliance’s new Strategic Concept By Hans M. Kristensen The new Strategic Concept adopted today by NATO represents one step forward and a half step backward for the alliance’s nuclear weapons policy. The forward-leaning part of the nuclear policy pledges to actively try to create the conditions for […]
A few Senators are preventing US inspectors from verifying the status of Russian nuclear weapons. By Hans M. Kristensen The ability of a few Senators to delay ratification of the New START treaty is gambling with national and international security. At home the delay is depriving the U.S. intelligence community important information about the status […]
The Senate should vote on the New START during the “lame duck” session. The New START arms control treaty, negotiated between the United States and Russia and signed by the presidents of both countries last April, is awaiting ratification by the United States Senate. Objections to the treaty rest primarily upon misunderstandings or misrepresentation. In […]