SSP

Hans Kristensen, director of the Nuclear Information Project, spoke on a panel hosted by the Arms Control Association regarding the future of the U.S. Nuclear Arsenal in Washington, DC on January 20, 2012.

The transcript from the event is available online here.

Friends,

Thank you for your interest in the work of the Federation of American Scientists (FAS).

Two weeks ago, the Obama administration released the total number of nuclear warheads in the U.S. stockpile — 5,113 — a number that was classified for decades. In February 2009, FAS expert Hans Kristensen published an estimate that now turns out to have been only 87 warheads off. Over the past two weeks, Kristensen’s estimate and FAS efforts on nuclear security have gained widespread recognition in the mainstream media.

FAS Vice President of the Strategic Security Program, Dr. Ivan Oelrich, was featured on a panel discussion last week at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). The discussion was the second event of the CSIS Project on Nuclear Issues (PONI) “Debate the Issues” series. The discussion focused on the forthcoming Nuclear Posture Review.

Watch a video of the discussion here.

Ivanka Barzashka is intrigued by the puzzle that is Iran’s nuclear program. Unlike North Korea’s public pursuit of nuclear weapons, Iran has been steadfast in its denial of developing a nuclear bomb, stating time and time again that it is pursuing a self-sustaining nuclear energy program. The dual-use nature of nuclear technology, specifically uranium enrichment, is at the heart of the uncertainty concerning the Iranian situation.