Arms Control Wonk: Leading Voices on Arms Control, Disarmament and Non-Proliferation

Kim Jong Un’s Early Valentine’s Day Present

Looks like Valentine’s Day came early this winter for Kim Jong Un. The North Koreans are significantly expanding the February 11 Plant (Feb 11) outside of Hamhung. We think we have identified a new missile assembly building under construction, an effort to increase the throughput of the plant. This post is elaborating on a piece …

IAEA Safeguards and Nuclear Disarmament Verification

Last month I published a journal article on this subject, part of a long-term policy research project to explore the concept of irreversibility in nuclear disarmament as called for under, inter alia, the 2000 NPT Review Conference Final Document. This project is underway at a consortium steered by King’s College London; it includes the Verification …

The Oreshnik IRBM

Russia launched an experimental, offensive missile into Ukraine, aimed at the PA Pivdenmash (former Yuzhmash) factory. This is a new world of missile combat, as this looks to be the first use of an IRBM (though not at IRBM ranges) and possibly MIRV (though conventional!) in combat.  Jeffrey and Aaron talk about Russia’s new Oreshnik …

Fred Kaplan and A Capital Calamity

The legendary Fred Kaplan joins Jeffrey to talk about his brand new novel, A Capital Calamity.  Fred and Jeffrey talk through the Fred’s experiences in nuclear strategy and the influences on his new novel, A Capital Calamity, from JFK’s EXCOMM tapes, the MX basing debate, and the Jane Austin meets Dr. Strangelove comedy of DC …