The latest Nuclear Notebook takes a look at the United States, which has embarked on a wide-ranging nuclear modernization program.
Read more from @nukestrat.bsky.social, @mattkorda.bsky.social, @elianajjohns.bsky.social, and @mknight.bsky.social of @scientistsorg.bsky.social. ⬇️
Arms Control Pope
Fixed it for you @nytimes.com
THAT’S MY HEISMANDOZA
Charlie Becker don't miss
I frickin knew the East Wing “ballroom” construction was actually a cover for a new ICBM silo
"A world where we're living under constant threat of nuclear use isn't a world we have to accept." — @mknight.bsky.social | Nuclear Information Project, @scientistsorg.bsky.social
I and our whole team @scientistsorg.bsky.social are so grateful for Ploughshares! Thanks for having me 😊
A map of Europe with nonstrategic nuclear weapons sites labeled.
‼️ Our latest @scientistsorg.bsky.social Nuclear Notebook is out: The changing nuclear landscape in Europe
Nuclear postures in Europe are evolving, and the role of nukes is on the rise...
🔗 Read more here! www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
Had so much fun creating my first ever ArcGIS StoryMap based on a report by the amazing @christinaisa.bsky.social that breaks down for aspiring analysts how to do satellite imagery analysis of nuclear sites. Check out the StoryMap at the link in the post below!⬇️⬇️
Three days after Trump created a storm of confusion and concern by announcing he had directed Pentagon to start testing nuclear weapons, Secretary of Energy finally clarifies US tests are”noncritical” that don’t produce a nuclear explosion. apnews.com/article/trum...
Nuclear Information Project Senior Research Associates + Nuclear Notebook co-authors @mknight.bsky.social and @elianajjohns.bsky.social break down the President's interesting post about a return to nuclear testing line by line.
📍 www.instagram.com/reel/DQegwky...
1/n - Trump says something about nuclear weapons tests...It’s hard to know what he means. As usual, he’s unclear, all over the map, and wrong.
1. The United States has more Nuclear Weapons than any other country.
Wrong. Russia has more nuclear weapons than the United States.
Even including retired warheads, we estimate that Russia has more
Russia has the most nukes, actually!
To be more specific, as many others have pointed out, Trump is ~probably~ referring to testing nuclear delivery systems rather than explosive nuclear testing, particularly since that *would* be DOD's responsibility. (and probably in response to Russia's cruise missile test earlier this week)
Shoot, you got me!
....my posts are not legally binding
Omg ur so right
But have you considered
(╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻
We're getting nights like this basically monthly now, and the major funders of nuclear policy work are still retreating
More than likely, Trump is either just trying to make inflammatory threats, OR he means a very different type/level of nuclear testing than what his post implies and doesn’t know that “start nuclear weapons testing” has a very specific implication (because, well, he’s not smart).
5. The process could literally not begin immediately.
6. DOD is not even the entity that would conduct nuclear testing - DOE is.
1. The U.S. does not have the most nuclear weapons (Russia does).
2. Truly don’t even know what he could mean by the second sentence. That did not happen.
3. China will not be even with us in 5 years.
4. No other country is conducting nuclear weapons testing. “On an equal basis” = not at all
[sigh]
- We don't have the most
- We're just getting started on "update and renovation"
- Other countries aren't testing
- DOW (DOD) doesn't do that
- It's not happening immediately lol
I’ll give someone $1000 if they can find one factually correct statement in this post
Interestingly, following recent reports that Sentinel would require "predominantly" new silos, the GAO report says only: "the Air Force is reassessing all aspects of its plan to field Sentinel, including the extent to which Sentinel will use the existing Minuteman III launch facilities."
With the new GAO Sentinel report out, this feels like a great time to promote @mattkorda.bsky.social and I's recent report on Sentinel: The Two-Hundred Billion Dollar Boondoggle.
We knew the Air Force would have to life-extend MMIII (and that they could have all along). Read more below 👇
GAO confirms what Defense Daily reported back in January: "Air Force officials are assessing options to potentially operate Minuteman III through 2050."
I seem to recall many arguments in favor of Sentinel resting on the premise that Minuteman could not be life extended 🤔
"the Air Force has not yet developed a transition risk
management plan, a leading project planning practice."
"the Air Force has not developed a schedule
for construction of a Sentinel test facility."
wow I wonder why the program is billions of dollars over budget and years behind schedule
