Arms Control Wonk

From the 2010 wall calendar, “Scenic Missile Tests of Iran.” (Just kidding.) Confusion surrounds the names used for ballistic missiles in Iran, where designators seem to come and go unpredictably. But a just smidgen of linguistic information may clarify the picture. Let’s review. So far, Iran has launched or flight-tested the following types: a family …

Much has been said about the various nosecones Iran uses on its missiles. In particular, the tri-conic or baby bottle nose cone of the Kavoshgar and Ghadr is one of the primary ways of distinguishing the various Shahab-3 variants. That’s why it’s somewhat surprising to me that no one has commented (at least as far …

It can be surprising just how strongly people tend to feel about nuclear weapons declaratory policy. The entire idea of declaratory policy, after all, comes down to words. It controls no instruments, makes no irrevocable commitments, and lacks the binding force of law. It amounts to an overt exercise in what the psychologists call impression …