100 episodes

The nuclear weapons, arms control, disarmament and nonproliferation podcast. Companion to the popular Arms Control Wonk blog (www.armscontrolwonk.com). Hosted by Jeffrey Lewis & Aaron Stein.

Arms Control Wonk Jeffrey Lewis & Aaron Stein

    • News
    • 4.8 • 400 Ratings

The nuclear weapons, arms control, disarmament and nonproliferation podcast. Companion to the popular Arms Control Wonk blog (www.armscontrolwonk.com). Hosted by Jeffrey Lewis & Aaron Stein.

    Russian Nuclear Doctrine in the Financial Times

    Russian Nuclear Doctrine in the Financial Times

    Max Seddon and Chris Cook with the Financial Times have written an excellent piece on leaked Russian Naval documents that FT saw, focused on thresholds for Russian nuclear use, especially in a war scenario with China. 
    Jeffrey and Aaron go through what the documents reveal and debate if they're generally consistant with what is understood about Russian nuclear doctrine or, as FT states, indicate that the threshold is lower than previous understood.  
    Support us over at Patreon.com/acwpodcast!

    • 35 min
    Jeffrey Visits the Test Site

    Jeffrey Visits the Test Site

    Road trip to Vegas.
    As part of an NGO transparency visit, NNSA opened up the Nevada Test Site to a group of international nuclear weapons experts, including one Dr. Jeffrey Lewis.
    Jeffrey goes through what he saw: P Tunnel, The BEEF, and the crown jewel, U1a. This was an NNSA exercise in transparency, aimed at showing the community and world that the U.S. stockpile stewardship and treaty verification exercises are separate from nuclear explosive tests. It was also, and we cannot underline this enough, extremely cool.
    Support us over at Patreon.com/acwpodcast!

    • 43 min
    Russia Buys North Korean Missiles

    Russia Buys North Korean Missiles

    Shoigu went shopping. 
    Russia is buying KN-23 and KN-25 missiles from North Korea and launching them in support of its invasion of Ukraine. Imagery from on the ground clearly shows North Korean style solid-propellant missiles.
    Jeffrey and Aaron talk about what this means for global ballistic missile proliferation, possible South Korean responses, and the continued rise of North Korea as a ballistic missile exporter.
    Support us over at Patreon.com/acwpodcast!

    • 25 min
    North Korea's New Satellite

    North Korea's New Satellite

    North Korea finally got a reconnaissance satellite into orbit, after several failed prior attempts! While it is a little rough around the edges, every program has to start somewhere.
    Jeffrey and Aaron talk through the implications of the DPRK's reconnaissance satellite, the relationship of the DPRK missile and space programs, and the importance of high fashion for the spacelaunching elites. 
     
    Support us over at Patreon.com/acwpodcast!

    • 38 min
    The Reason We're all Still Here

    The Reason We're all Still Here

    Take a listen to the latest season of Jeffrey Lewis's podcast, The Reason We're All Still Here
    Far too often, governments behave like toddlers. They’re fickle. They don’t like to share. And good luck getting them to pay attention to any problem that isn’t directly in front of them. They like to push each other to the brink, and often do. But when they don’t, it’s usually because other people enter the proverbial room. Private citizens who step up and play peacemaker when their governments won’t or can’t. People who strive for collaboration and understanding, and sometimes end up finding it in unlikely places. Those people and the work they do, they’re the reason we’re all still here.
    This season, we’ll hear from scientists, analysts, and idealists who have gone to crazy lengths just for a shot at making peace and building understanding From smoke-filled rooms in North Korea to secret labs in the Soviet Union… to the lawless seas, and even to the depths of outer space (or, at least, the conference rooms where they talk about the depths of outer space). This podcast tells the stories about the people holding us back from the brink.
    Hosted by ​​Dr. Jeffrey Lewis, a professor and scholar at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies on the Nonproliferation and Terrorism Studies faculty. Previously, he served as Director of the Nuclear Strategy and Nonproliferation Initiative at the New America Foundation and Executive Director of the Managing the Atom Project at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard University. He is the founder of ArmsControlWonk.com, a leading resource on disarmament, arms control and nonproliferation issues.
     
    Produced by Gilded Audio and the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies

    • 8 min
    Shenanigans in Novaya Zemlya

    Shenanigans in Novaya Zemlya

    Looks like everyone is preparing for a party. 
    Between Russia's potential un-signing of a nuclear test treaty, threats to test "if the United States does," and refurbishments at Novaya Zemlya, things aren't looking great for the longevity of nuclear test ban norms. China and the U.S. have been modernizing too, though the U.S. has offered to allow monitors on-site to verify U.S. lack of testing. 
     
    Jeffrey and Aaron sit down to talk about the recent developments in Russia, and the likelyhood that there will be a return to explosive nuclear testing in the future.
     
    The Era Without Arms Control continues, and threatens to deepen.
     
    Support us over at Patreon.com/acwpodcast!

    • 32 min

Customer Reviews

4.8 out of 5
400 Ratings

400 Ratings

ThermoPlaya ,

Launch a missile, get a pod, ….record a great show, get a 5 Star.

I was introduced to Dr. Lewis via his book the 2020 commission. He, Dr. Stein and their guests inform me on topics of interest, perhaps not always perfectly but darn close. Just wish they would drop more frequently.

TedWynot ,

Casual listener

I am, in fact, a casual listener. Heard Jeffrey on a CNN interview with Kristie Stout years ago and have been reading his writing since (science based and fiction). This podcast is easy to understand and makes the less informed listener a more informed person. Thank you!

jd2020 ,

Decent info if u can suffer through it

First episode I listened to was painful. Audio quality, so so. Content surprisingly decent, but too much chaff and self involved drivel. Not as dry or half hearted as some people think tank content. Not much competition in this space I guess

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