By Hans M. Kristensen North Korea’s news agency – Korean Central News Agency – apparently has issued a statement saying that “The Federation of American Scientists of the United States has confirmed (North) Korea as a nuclear weapon state.” According to a report in the Korea Herald, the statement said a FAS publication issued in […]
.The world’s approximately 23,300 nuclear weapons are stored at an estimated 111 locations in 14 countries, according to an overview produced by FAS and NRDC. Nearly half of the weapons are operationally deployed with delivery systems capable of launching on short notice. The overview is published in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists and includes […]
China’s newest nuclear submarines are noisier than 1970s-era Soviet nuclear submarines. . By Hans M. Kristensen China’s new Jin-class ballistic missile submarine is noisier than the Russian Delta III-class submarines built more than 30 years ago, according to a report produced by the U.S. Navy’s Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI). The report The People’s Liberation […]
Claims that nuclear weapons need to be as safe as a coffee table might drive warhead replacement By Hans M. Kristensen and Ivan Oelrich The latest study from the JASON panel is an unambiguous rejection of claims made by the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), the nuclear weapon labs, defense secretary Robert Gates, and U.S. […]
by: Alicia Godsberg The First Committee of this year’s 64th United Nations General Assembly (GA) just wrapped up a month of meetings. The GA breaks up its work into six main committees, and the First Committee deals with disarmament and international security issues. During the month-long meetings, member states give general statements, debate on such […]
by Matt Schroeder Photos of firearms seized from criminals in Colombia are poignant reminders of the importance of strong controls on government arsenals. The photos, which were provided to the FAS’ Arms Sales Monitoring Project by the Colombian National Police, are of firearms reportedly seized in the department of Narino from a paramilitary group called […]
By Ivanka Barzashka FAS has posted a report on “Enrichment Supply and Technology Outside the United States” by S. A. Levin and S. Blumkin from the Enrichment Department of the Oak Ridge Gaseous Diffusion Plant, operated at the time by Union Carbide. The document, prepared for the U.S. Energy Research and Development Administration, reviews international […]
Missile Watch A publication of the FAS Arms Sales Monitoring Project Vol. 2, Issue 2 October 2009 Written by Matt Schroeder and Scoville Fellow Matt Buongiorno
Security personnel monitor nuclear weapons transport at German air base. Image: USAF . By Hans M. Kristensen The new German government has announced that it wants to enter talks with its NATO allies about the withdrawal of the remaining U.S. nuclear weapons from Germany. The announcement coincides with the Obama administration’s ongoing Nuclear Posture Review, […]
by Ivanka Barzashka and Ivan Oelrich After a cascade of disclosures and official announcements, followed by a great deal of conjecture from experts and the media, the Fordo enrichment plant, Iran’s newest enrichment facility located in the mountains near Qom, opened its doors on October 25 to International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspections. The US, […]
No preemptive nuclear options, according to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. By Hans M. Kristensen During an interview with Ekho Moskvy Radio last week, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton was asked if “the American [nuclear] doctrine incorporate[s] preemptive nuclear strikes against an aggressor?” The Secretary’s answer was: “No, no.” Ahem…. Secretary Clinton’s denial that […]
President Barack Obama, here shown speaking to the United Nations in September, is seeking to delay a UN Resolution calling for De-Alerting Nuclear Forces. . By Hans M. Kristensen The Obama administration has asked four countries to postpone a resolution at the United Nations calling for reducing the alert-level of nuclear weapons. The intervention apparently […]