Issue Briefs 

2011 Sep 26 - A Nuclear-Free Mirage

Charles P. Blair, director of the Terrorism Analysis Project, interviewed Federation of American Scientists’ Senior Fellow for Nuclear Policy Dr. Robert Standish Norris. The report takes a deeper look at the nuclear policies of the Obama administration—polices that Dr. Norris terms “radical” with regard to their vision of a nuclear weapon free world. Read the report. 

2011 June - The B61 Life-Extension Program: Increasing NATO Nuclear Capability and Precision Low-Yield Strikes

A modified U.S. nuclear bomb currently under design will have improved military capabilities compared with older weapons and increase the targeting capability of NATO’s nuclear arsenal. The B61-12, the product of a planned 30-year life extension and consolidation of four existing versions of the B61 into one, will be equipped with a new guidance system to increase its accuracy. As a result, the U.S. non-strategic nuclear bombs currently deployed in five European countries will return to Europe as a life-extended version in 2018 with an enhanced capability targets.  Read the report. 

2011 Jan 21 - Using Enrichment Capacity to Estimate Iran’s Breakout Potential

While diplomats and officials claim Iran has slowed down its nuclear drive, new analysis shows that Iran's enrichment capacity grew during 2010 and warns against complacency as five world powers resume talks this week. Read the FAS Issue Brief (PDF).

2010 Jul 22 - Will Iran Give Up Twenty Percent Enrichment?

2010 Apr 29 - Recommendations for the U.S. Delegation to the NPT Review Conference

The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) has endured as the cornerstone of the non-proliferation regime and remains the only legally binding multilateral agreement on nuclear disarmament. In May 2010, the NPT Review Conference met at the United Nations and provided a critical opportunity to advance the vision President Obama laid out of a world free of nuclear weapons. Read more here.

2010 Apr 16 - The Twenty Percent Solution: Breaking the Iranian Stalemate

President Obama’s deadline to address concerns about Tehran's nuclear program passed at the end of 2009, so the White House is moving to harsher sanctions. But the U.S. is having trouble rallying the needed international support because Iranian intentions remain ambiguous. Read the report here (PDF)

2010 Jan 8 - Eight Recommendations for Improving Transparency in US Arms Transfers

Transparency is essential for effective congressional and public oversight of arms exports. Without complete and accurate data on the quantity, type and recipients of exported defense articles and services, it is impossible to assess the extent to which arms transfers further national security and foreign policy.  Read more expert analysis here (PDF).

2009 Dec 2 - Calculating the Capacity at Fordow

FAS experts conclude that while the construction and the announcement of Iran’s Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant, does not prove an intention to deceive the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), it raises troubling questions. The facility is too small for a commercial enrichment facility, raising concerns that it might be intended as a covert facility to produce highly enriched uranium for weapons. Read more here (PDF).