Avatar photoRussian Subs Just Don't Patrol Like They Used To

Hans Kristensen has pieced together a history of Russian nuclear submarine patrols over 1981-2004: The Russian nuclear submarine force is far less active than during the Cold War. Since 1984, according to information obtained from the U.S. Navy, the annual number of extended patrols performed by strategic nuclear submarines and nuclear-powered attack submarines has dropped …

Avatar photoHow Far is Iran From A Bomb?

Dafna Linzer has a long article in the Washington Post describing a new National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) placing an Iranian bomb a decade or so away: A major U.S. intelligence review has projected that Iran is about a decade away from manufacturing the key ingredient for a nuclear weapon, roughly doubling the previous estimate of …

Avatar photoROK Intel on North Korean Nukes

South Korea National Intelligence Service (NIS) HQ Both Jeffrey and I have written before, about whether North Korea has a deliverable nuclear weapon. Just to provide another data point, ROK intelligence reportedly assessed in February that Seoul’s northern neighbor may have nuclear devices, but probably can’t deliver them because they’re too heavy. The relevant excerpt: …

Avatar photoGeneral Jew

Wow, my appearance on C-SPAN was interesting. I expected to dislike the Heritage Foundation’s John Tkacik, who proved pretty affable—though our politics are pretty far apart. Tkacik and I were having a civil debate about the significance of recent remarks by a Chinese General named Zhu (pronouced /joo/). Things took a decidedly bizarre turn at …