Aaron Stein

Very cool

RIP Viper

We begin again. Let’s go

It's official: I will be writing a book about air power in the 2000s, comparing US air operations over Libya, Yemen, Syria, and now Iran. Will be a fun 18 months. Thanks to Smith Richardson for support. I'll be officially kicking this project off @fpri.bsky.social in Jan. 2027.

Truly a great article for those that want to cut through the noise of post-Epic Fury bombing and what it means for Iran's ability to rebuild its missile stocks. Spoiler: They also face limitations and magazine depth limitations.

Small drones have overflown RAF Lakenheath, RAF Mildenhall, RAF Fairford and RAF Feltwell throughout the 2020s. What happened with the B1s isn't surprising. It underscores the challenge, not anything novel. Same is true of Ramstein. Langley. And on and on. Drones are simply everywhere.

Read more in the latest Brief. buff.ly/6OuEhGW

2) 1.7 million tonnes - grain export shipments in September according to the Russian Grain Union, down almost fourfold from last year.

🧵By the Numbers: Highlights from the latest #BearMarketBrief 1) $2.9 billion - the sales of the German food retailer Metro Group in Russia in the 2024/25 financial year. A presidential decree placed Metro’s Russian assets under temporary state management last week. More below👇️

The blogfather @armscontrolwonk.bsky.social and I caught up to talk our TTX in Philly, Kebab in Armenia, and how the arms race in space is faster than on earth www.armscontrolwonk.com/archive/1222...

The new, enduring infrastructure built for facilities at Olenya Guba around the end of the Cold War underscores the importance placed on the seabed warfare assets housed there and indicates that by the early 1990s, GUGI had moved significant operations there.

🗓️ Virtual Event | Tuesday, October 20 | 12:00 PM EDT | 18:00 CET Co-hosted with New Eastern Europe, this virtual panel will explore the past legacies, present security and political realities, and strategic future of Central Europe and the Visegrád Four at a pivotal moment in European geopolitics.

With GUGI in the news, I took a look at the Russian deep-sea submarine base at Olenya Guba. I pulled some beautiful, declassified satellite images. Take a look! www.fpri.org/article/2026...

🆕 FPRI Experts React | The Trump-Xi Summit. Our experts highlight different dimensions of the summit, all pointing to the same conclusion: both the United States and China were eager to convey strength, prioritizing the status of their partnership over addressing pertinent tensions between them.

If you aren’t currently a member but would like to attend this and future events, please contact our Events and Development Manager, Christine Datesman, at cdatesman@fpri.org.

🗓️ Member Briefing | Iran Rebuilds its Missile Arsenal In this members-only briefing, Aaron Stein and Sam Lair will discuss how FPRI's IDAC team is leveraging open-source satellite imagery to track and assess Iran's missile capabilities and stockpiles.

Check out what FPRI worked on this week!

🆕 What Stands Out in the US-Greenland-Denmark Agreement with Rebeca Pincus and @aaronstein1.bsky.social. buff.ly/V0dMDxe

In his report, Aaron Stein details how there is serious discussion in Russia about developing military weapons to disable US satellite constellations, reviving a countermeasure framework that Russia has long adopted against US space technology.

FPRI hosted a wargame with participants joining from around the world. The TTX simulated nuclear escalation dynamics in space, following credible reports of Russia deploying nuclear weapons into orbit. Thank you to our participants for embodying the spirit of the game and making it a success.

Colleagues from around the world joined us @fpri.bsky.social in Philadelphia for a TTX to study nuclear escalation dynamics in space. Thanks to @slair.bsky.social @duitsmanms.bsky.social @armscontrolwonk.bsky.social and Emily Holland for support. Game report coming soon!

Wrote up a short Substack on my way back from Philadelphia, where I had a good time in a space-nuclear table-top today hosted by @aaronstein1.bsky.social, @slair.bsky.social, and team. On salvage fuzes! panda.substack.com/p/salvage-fu...

Take a look at the second issue of the #OrbisJournal, focusing on the second nuclear century. The authors each explore a critical element of the nuclear domain shaping the international system. Special thanks to Rachel Whitlark for all her hard work spearheading this issue. buff.ly/iso1dit

My latest report for @fpri.bsky.social with colleagues @slair.bsky.social and @armscontrolwonk.bsky.social

In his latest analysis piece, @duitsmanms.bsky.social explains how a coming US-Saudi Arabia nuclear agreement poses significant proliferation risks, as it allows Saudi Arabia to enrich uranium, in exchange for US nuclear reactors—which the US is not in a position to deliver. Read more below.

The proclamation of the Zeitenwende marked a clear step forward, but key questions remain regarding how that vision translates into long-term policy and proactive leadership on NATO’s Eastern Flank.

🗓️ In-Person Event | Thursday, September 17 | 5:00 - 6:30 PM In the wake of shifting geopolitical realities, the debate surrounding Germany’s military readiness, industrial capability, and strategic leadership has taken center stage. More details below ⬇️

⏰️ Tuesday, September 8 | 5:00 PM Aaron Stein and Sam Lair will host an in-person discussion on the cost of proposed satellite constellations under the Golden Dome Program—an enduring source of debate around space-based interceptors—and their potential consequences. Register here: buff.ly/Wd14UmG.

I return to the Arms Control Wonk Podcast to talk Golden Dome and SBIs with @aaronstein1.bsky.social and @armscontrolwonk.bsky.social Come for our explanations of math, stay to hear what everyone's favorite SBI countermeasure is! www.armscontrolwonk.com/archive/1222...

The blogfather @armscontrolwonk.bsky.social and I sat down with @fpri.bsky.social fellow @slair.bsky.social to discuss our joint research on the actual cost of space based interceptors and this layer of Golden Dome. We thank New-Land Foundation for support. www.armscontrolwonk.com/archive/1222...

The report by @aaronstein1.bsky.social examines Soviet and now Russian thinking about war in space, the investments made to hold at risk US assets in orbit, and how US private sector advancements are pushing the Russians to consider deploying nuclear weapons in space. buff.ly/N45n4cy

🚨 Job Alert: We’re hiring for a research assistant at @carnegienpp.bsky.social. Come work with me and the rest of the team. Details below; apply by the 18th of August: carnegieendowment.applicantpro.com/jobs/4169113

The quest to leverage space for warfighting has continued. How has Russia adapted its strategy to the domain, and what does it mean for US defense planning and investment? Click the link below to find out more from @aaronstein1.bsky.social.

Really great read from @fpri.bsky.social @slair.bsky.social @duitsmanms.bsky.social

More jobs @fpri.bsky.social! Our Eurasia and Asia teams are looking to expand and hire a part-time RA/EA to support our awesome work. Apply to join our growing team. www.fpri.org/about/employ...

My colleague @armscontrolwonk.bsky.social and I discussed on our podcast the history of our now decade-and-half old show, his future, my future, and our major plans for 2027 and beyond www.armscontrolwonk.com/archive/1222...

Happy National Intern Day!🎉 Thank you to all of our summer and 2026 interns for supporting our fellows and staff. Read more about the internship program on our website. buff.ly/eFf8GoJ

Russian nuclear-armed submarines have long operated under the protection of thick Arctic sea ice, but as it melts away, Carl Parkin breaks down the challenges they face.

First our OSINT team, now LeBron. It’s been a good week for Philly. @fpri.bsky.social

It's my first anniversary at @fpri.bsky.social today! I'm enormously grateful to the whole team for being so consistently supportive and encouraging - and particularly to @aaronstein1.bsky.social for giving me the opportunity to be a big nerd. You guys are the best!

Some news! As many of you know, I've been a Distinguished Research Fellow at @fpri.bsky.social consulting with @aaronstein1.bsky.social on space and missile defense. Today it gets much better: the whole freaking open-source research team is joining FPRI full time. (1/4)

For those on the West Coast. We have big news @fpri.bsky.social 👇