Eliana Johns
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elianajjohns.bsky.social
Eliana Johns
@elianajjohns.bsky.social
Senior Research Associate with Nuclear Information Project @ Federation of American Scientists & Grad Student @ Georgetown SFS | Talks about nukes and satellite imagery | (views are my own)
Pinned
I am extremely pleased to share this new@scientistsorg.bsky.social report published today by me and @nukestrat.bsky.social on the return of the USAF nuclear mission to RAF Lakenheath. ⬇️

fas.org/publication/...
The Potential Return of the US Nuclear Mission to RAF Lakenheath
Even without weapons present, the addition of a large nuclear air base in northern Europe is a significant new development that would have been inconceivable just a decade-and-a-half ago.
fas.org
Reposted by Eliana Johns
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...
October 31, 2025 at 3:18 PM
Reposted by Eliana Johns
Applications for PONI's Nuclear Scholars Initiative close in three weeks! PONI accepts applications from a diverse range of backgrounds, and has limited spots open for non-U.S. citizens as well. Don't miss out!

Apply here: nuclearnetwork.csis.org/programs/nuc...
Nuclear Scholars Initiative - Nuclear Network
The Nuclear Scholars Initiative aims to provide top graduate students and young professionals from around the country with a unique venue to interact and dialogue with senior experts on nuclear weapon...
nuclearnetwork.csis.org
October 30, 2025 at 2:21 PM
Reposted by Eliana Johns
When states increase interest in tactical nuclear weapons, risks can multiply quickly.

Join authors @andrewfacini.com + Lily Boland and moderator @elianajjohns.bsky.social for a timely conversation on a major new report on the consequences of TNW use.

📅 Thu, Oct 23 | 11:00 ET
⬇️ RSVP & learn more:
Launch Event: The Consequences of Tactical Nuclear Weapons Use - The Council on Strategic Risks
Join authors Andrew Facini and Lily Boland, and moderator Eliana Johns from the Federation of American Scientists, for an open conversation on the latest CSR report, The Consequences of Tactical Nucle...
councilonstrategicrisks.org
October 21, 2025 at 3:44 PM
I published an update on developments we've been tracking at RAF Lakenheath. While progress (such as the construction of a new security perimeter) is evident, outstanding infrastructure upgrades raise questions about whether U.S. nuclear weapons have already been deployed.
fas.org/publication/...
Incomplete Upgrades at RAF Lakenheath Raise Questions About Suspected US Nuclear Deployment - Federation of American Scientists
Satellite imagery of RAF Lakenheath reveals new construction of a security perimeter around ten protective aircraft shelters in the designated nuclear area, the latest measure in a series of upgrades ...
fas.org
October 15, 2025 at 6:36 PM
Check out @mknight.bsky.social's epic and rather timely report on presidential sole authority in the United States! It has everything you need to know about the history and ongoing debates about this policy -- a must-read!
The president has sole authority to order nuclear use- How did we get here? How does it work? What’s the issue? Can we solve it?

My new @scientistsorg.bsky.social report on nuclear launch authority in the U.S. - “All the King’s Weapons” - is out! Read it below 👇

fas.org/publication/...
September 5, 2025 at 4:47 PM
Reposted by Eliana Johns
1/n - China’s military parade as expected was an extreme display off military equipment. This included display of several new nuclear weapons systems, including some modified or entirely new. www.youtube.com/live/-aH6rGs...

This thread includes preliminary descriptions; more later: 👇
September 3, 2025 at 8:33 AM
We nuke nerds at @scientistsorg.bsky.social published a piece this morning on the nuclear weapons displayed during China's 2025 Victory Day Parade.

Read here for everything you need to know! 👇

fas.org/publication/...
Nuclear Weapons At China's 2025 Victory Day Parade - Federation of American Scientists
This buildup appears to contradict China's obligations under the nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty and could well stimulate nuclear buildups in the United States and India.
fas.org
September 4, 2025 at 3:00 PM
Reposted by Eliana Johns
Americans Astronomers
watching watching
US politics Betelgeuse
🤝

“It could happen at any time”
September 1, 2025 at 9:08 PM
Reposted by Eliana Johns
Impressive piece of work by my colleagues @mattkorda.bsky.social and @mknight.bsky.social on the extraordinary mess in the new Sentinel ICBM program: The Two-Hundred Billion Dollar Boondoggle. 👇
An administration that claims to be obsessed with eliminating waste should look no further than the Sentinel ICBM program.

@mknight.bsky.social and I have done a deep dive into the system; we explore why the program is so behind schedule, over-budget, and poorly managed. 👇

fas.org/publication/...
The Two-Hundred Billion Dollar Boondoggle - Federation of American Scientists
Nearly one year after the Pentagon certified the Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile program to continue after it incurred critical cost and schedule overruns, the new nuclear missile could on...
fas.org
July 2, 2025 at 9:10 PM
Summer camp counselor? ❌
FAS OSINT Bootcamp counselor ✅🗺️

I’m at a loss for words to express how thankful and inspired I am by the success of our inaugural FAS Open Source Nuclear Analysis Bootcamp. I'm already looking forward to next year!
July 15, 2025 at 9:13 PM
📌 ICYMI, @nukestrat.bsky.social, @mattkorda.bsky.social, @mknight.bsky.social, and I just released a pretty cool report on the targeting strategies of nuclear-armed states.

Check it out!
🆕 Planning for the Unthinkable: the targeting strategies of nuclear-armed states

Intense secrecy around nuclear targeting means that most individuals—including lawmakers—do not have much understanding of how fateful decisions about what to target during wartime are made.
July 3, 2025 at 11:23 AM
Reposted by Eliana Johns
My latest in @postopinions.bsky.social - the 5th installment of our @scientistsorg.bsky.social series "The Next Nuclear Age"

How a president might come to launch a nuclear strike

Massive thanks to @sebphilippe.bsky.social for helping us model what a nuclear attack on DC might look like
⬇️⬇️
Opinion | How a nuclear attack on the U.S. might unfold, step by step
A scenario of America’s response to an incoming nuclear attack.
wapo.st
July 2, 2025 at 2:28 PM
Reposted by Eliana Johns
🆕 Planning for the Unthinkable: the targeting strategies of nuclear-armed states

Intense secrecy around nuclear targeting means that most individuals—including lawmakers—do not have much understanding of how fateful decisions about what to target during wartime are made.
June 30, 2025 at 2:09 PM
Want to learn more about who controls one of the most powerful nuclear arsenals in the world???

Check out this excellent piece in @postopinions.bsky.social by my good friend and colleague, @mknight.bsky.social!
Really proud of my new piece on the president’s nuclear launch authority for our team @scientistsorg.bsky.social’s Next Nuclear Age series in @washingtonpost.com ! Unfortunately it turned out to be quite a timely one. Give it a read ⬇️⬇️⬇️
Opinion | Only one American can start a nuclear war: The president
The American president has the sole authority to order a nuclear strike, even if every adviser in the room is against it.
www.washingtonpost.com
June 18, 2025 at 5:30 PM
Reposted by Eliana Johns
Amazing article by the amazing @mknight.bsky.social of @scientistsorg.bsky.social in today's WPost on the president's sole and unchecked authority to start a #nuclear war. Well worth your time. Well worth your action to oppose this dangerous policy. www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/int...
Opinion | Only one American can start a nuclear war: The president
The American president has the sole authority to order a nuclear strike, even if every adviser in the room is against it.
www.washingtonpost.com
June 18, 2025 at 5:24 PM
Reposted by Eliana Johns
My latest: @projectsyndicate.bsky.social asked me (and four other analysts) to offer our thoughts on whether US allies should begin thinking about building their own nuclear weapons. My answer: as bad as things look now, proliferation can make things worse. www.project-syndicate.org/magazine/tru...
A New Nuclear Calculus?
Thorsten Benner, et al consider whether America's friends and allies should pursue their own nuclear-weapons capabilities.
www.project-syndicate.org
June 15, 2025 at 6:16 PM
Reposted by Eliana Johns
"To understand how it could all go wrong, it is useful to look at some examples of how it almost did."

@nukestrat.bsky.social, @mattkorda.bsky.social, @elianajjohns.bsky.social and @alliemaloney.bsky.social of @scientistsorg.bsky.social have the latest: wapo.st/4jK0VjO
June 14, 2025 at 4:12 PM
Reposted by Eliana Johns
"If a nuclear war happens, it could very well start by accident."

From @nukestrat.bsky.social, @mattkorda.bsky.social, @elianajjohns.bsky.social, and @alliemaloney.bsky.social in @postopinions.bsky.social "How Nuclear War Could Start"

🔗 below
June 11, 2025 at 3:49 PM
Reposted by Eliana Johns
"Humans are imperfect, so nuclear near-misses and accidents are a fact of life for as long as these weapons exist."

@nukestrat.bsky.social, @mattkorda.bsky.social, @elianajjohns.bsky.social and @alliemaloney.bsky.social of @scientistsorg.bsky.social have the latest: wapo.st/4jK0VjO
June 11, 2025 at 4:25 PM