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Scott LaFoy

@wslafoy.bsky.social
4.9K followers 269 following 64 posts

Open Source Analysis of ballistic missiles, nuclear weapons, BMD, DPRK, & PRC. Vice President of Nuclear and Technology Security Programs, Exiger. Making podcasts over at www.armscontrolwonk.com All opinions my own.

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Scott LaFoy @wslafoy.bsky.social · 07/02/2026
Texting "test a nuke, get a pod" back to 2017 so my past self can have a meltdown
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Geoff Brumfiel @gbrumfiel.bsky.social · 28/01/2026
EXCLSUVIE: The Trump administration has secretly rewritten nuclear safety rules and shared them with the companies they're meant to regulate, without making the new rules publicly available. We've obtained a copy of the new rules and here's what we found. www.npr.org/2026/01/28/n...
npr.org
The Trump administration has secretly rewritten nuclear safety rules
The rewrite was done to speed up the construction of a new generation of nuclear reactors. Critics warn it could compromise safety and public trust.
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Funranium (AKA Phil Broughton) @funranium.bsky.social · 28/01/2026
This is a hell of a way to wake up on Wednesday. Good morning @gbrumfiel.bsky.social! For DOE, as the inheritors of the promotion side of the AEC equation, rulemaking for their orders has always been a little a little different and less subject to public comment than NRC. But, uhh, not like this.
npr.org
The Trump administration has secretly rewritten nuclear safety rules
The rewrite was done to speed up the construction of a new generation of nuclear reactors. Critics warn it could compromise safety and public trust.
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Geoff Brumfiel @gbrumfiel.bsky.social · 02/06/2025
If you want the full story of Franklin just look at my next tweet! It's an epic tale of blimps, balloons and nuclear weapons🧵
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Scott LaFoy @wslafoy.bsky.social · 02/06/2025
It's June 2, which means it's the anniversary of the 1957 Franklin Shot fizzle from Operation Plumbbob, which is really only of note because of its extreme @gbrumfiel.bsky.social oriented content commons.m.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?...
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Scott LaFoy @wslafoy.bsky.social · 25/04/2025
I guess it's that time of year again!
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Lukas Mengelkamp @lukasmengelkamp.bsky.social · 12/01/2025
New article by my colleagues @ohnemax.bsky.social and @kadyshev.bsky.social on the utility of Arrow 3 against Russian ICBM, IRBM, MRBM and SRBM. www.tandfonline.com/eprint/8AV5B...
tandfonline.com
Analyzing the Utility of Arrow 3 for European Missile Defense Using Footprint Calculations
After the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, missile defense systems became more prominent and sought after on a global scale. In 2023, Germany decided to purchase the Israeli Arrow ...
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Scott LaFoy @wslafoy.bsky.social · 01/01/2025
This is the proper way to make it through January, although the lack of Lao Gan Ma is concerning
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Scott LaFoy @wslafoy.bsky.social · 01/01/2025
Attempting some Georgian dishes from the Supra cookbook for NYE. Eggplant with seasoned walnut paste (nigvziani badrijani) and adjaruli khachapuri, plus some salmon with capers (not pictured) as an appetizer. With a lil champagne/mimosa. Happy new year, friends. Hopefully better than 2024
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Scott LaFoy @wslafoy.bsky.social · 16/12/2024
googling "FedRAMP kanban software" and feeling the last of my youth slip away
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Scott LaFoy @wslafoy.bsky.social · 09/12/2024
Twitter is doing Abrahamic-Pokemon Numerology on the assassin
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Scott LaFoy @wslafoy.bsky.social · 01/12/2024
That's obviously his health bar
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🇵🇸Martin “Doomsday” Pfeiffer🖖🏳️‍🌈 @nuclearanthro.bsky.social · 29/11/2024
Went to Sandia 75 Anniversary temp exhib at Nuclear Museum (NMNSH) today. full picset to flickr/nuclearanthro soon. Some initial thoughts: Sole mention AFAICT of past & ongoing links of NMNSH as Sandia’s museum is an (AFAICT) UNLABELLED(?!?) plaque from 1973. #NukeSky 1/n #DissertationWriting
A blue shield shaped logo with, in darker blue & capital letters,word “sandia” on top, word “atomic” on left 
(Printed vertically with left as “bottom”) and “museum” on right (printed vertically with bottom as right ). In middle of shield & between the words is a smaller shield shape of dark blue with a white mushroom
cloud with a stylized atomic symbol in red at its base.

The logo which seems made of painted wood perhaps is set on a dark wooden plaque with a bronze-ish metal square inlaid at bottom left. It is inscribed with the following:

SANDIA ATOMIC MUSEUMFOUNDATION
GEORGE L. DOOLITTLE
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
18 JULY 1975
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Mike Eckel @mikeeckel.bsky.social · 26/11/2024
Russia's Defense Ministry has released photos of what it says is wreckage from U.S.-supplied ATACMS missiles, fired by Ukraine into Kursk Oblast November 23-25 (Khalino airfield was one site that was targeted)
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Sébastien Roblin @sebastienroblin.bsky.social · 25/11/2024
Last week Russia made first combat use of a strategic nuclear missile and its MIRV submunition, thankfully without nuclear warheads. Read on to learn the likely familiar origin of the allegedly new Oreshnik missile, claimed concept of use and why ambiguity as to its IRBM vs. ICBM class is baked in.
popularmechanics.com
Russia Says It Fired an Unprecedented New Type of Hypersonic Missile for the First Time Ever
Russian President Vladimir Putin says the weapon was developed very rapidly, hyping it up as an unstoppable hypersonic precision-strike weapon.
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Scott LaFoy @wslafoy.bsky.social · 21/11/2024
I love this specific iteration of this meme because it is one of the most *accurate* while still being funny. It has a solid amount of implicit commentary built into it without just making things up or going totally insane with the Radical boxes. Art.
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Grant W. Trent @grantwtrent.bsky.social · 14/11/2024
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Katie Mummah @nuclearkatie.com · 13/11/2024
Although there are a few crossovers, my starter pack is much more focused on nuclear energy than nuclear nonproliferation or nuclear weapons than @cherylrofer.bsky.social's. But you should follow that one too! go.bsky.app/7nJsY2F
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Scott LaFoy @wslafoy.bsky.social · 13/11/2024
As someone who spends an inordinate amount of their time working with the nuclear energy industry and nuclear supply chains, this list (and Katie's general social media presence!) is really, really useful for keeping up with the sector.
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Katie Mummah @nuclearkatie.com · 13/11/2024
Interested in nuclear energy, with a side of other nuclear science topics like health physics and nonproliferation? Here's my starter pack! go.bsky.app/NGW4Abq
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Scott LaFoy @wslafoy.bsky.social · 21/10/2024
Podcasts are published, dogs are walked, time to prepare for my upcoming (quick) work trip to the greatest state in the Union. Food recs always welcome. Tia B's La Waffleria is obviously the top.
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Scott LaFoy @wslafoy.bsky.social · 21/10/2024
New Arms Control Wonk ep up! The legendary Fred Kaplan joins @armscontrolwonk.bsky.social to talk about his new novel, A Capital Calamity, a Jane-Austin-Meets-Dr.-Strangelove comedy of DC manners & etiquette, in the fraught world of consultants & consequences. Tune in. patreon.com/posts/114390346
patreon.com
Fred Kaplan and A Capital Calamity | Arms Control Wonk
Get more from Arms Control Wonk on Patreon
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Scott LaFoy @wslafoy.bsky.social · 20/10/2024
Double header Arms Control Wonk podcast today! @dexeve.bsky.social and @armscontrolwonk.bsky.social met up to talk about the PLARF's Pacific ICBM test and the ROK's new massive missile on parade. patreon.com/posts/114363931 www.patreon.com/posts/big-ho...
patreon.com
The Big Honking Hyunmoo-V | Arms Control Wonk
Get more from Arms Control Wonk on Patreon
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NK News @nknewsorg.bsky.social · 13/09/2024
dlvr.it
North Korea appears to confirm existence of second uranium enrichment plant
The uranium enrichment plant where North Korean leader Kim Jong Un recently inspected new centrifuges is likely a covert facility near Pyongyang long suspected of being a nuclear site, according to analysis by the Open Source Team at the James Martin…
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Decker Eveleth @dexeve.bsky.social · 09/10/2023
GOOD CHRIST ALMIGHTY do NOT try to geolocate kidnapped Israeli civilians and post about it are you out of your FUCKING MIND
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Decker Eveleth @dexeve.bsky.social · 23/09/2023
Alright, which one of you is responsible for this. I know you're here. @wslafoy.bsky.social?
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Scott LaFoy @wslafoy.bsky.social · 01/09/2023
One of my dogs completely ignores TV sounds with exactly two exceptions. If Scratch from Baldur's Gate 3 or Blaidd from Elden Ring are on screen, then suddenly the house is On Alert and the humans Must Be Protected.
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Scott LaFoy @wslafoy.bsky.social · 21/08/2023
Another excellent voice in Natsec and export controls/policy joining BlueSky! I highly recommend Don's Sentinel Situation Report, I use it for keeping up with niche defense industrial base tracking and global trade controls/strategic industrial developments. sentinelllc.substack.com
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Decker Eveleth @dexeve.bsky.social · 20/08/2023
Gonna try to be on this website a little more and move more missile OSINT stuff over here. I'll write up a thread on here about some analysis the team did last week when it comes out.
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Kelsey Atherton @atherton.bsky.social · 20/08/2023
bluesky needs a fail whale
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Marco Langbroek @marcolangbroek.bsky.social · 01/08/2023
A Navigational Warning has appeared that suggests a missile test to take place in the east Pacific on August 4-12. The hazard areas are somewhat similar to those of previous tests of the hypersonic AGM-183 ARRW, so perhaps ARRW.
text of Navigational Warningmap with hazard zones from NavWarningMap comparing to previous ARRW tests
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Bowiesongs (C. O'Leary) @bowiesongs.bsky.social · 24/07/2023
advice i got as young journalist from a supremely bitter line editor, while he was gutting my article: "politicians do not, ever, 'believe' anything. they only 'say' or 'claim' things."
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Scott LaFoy @wslafoy.bsky.social · 22/07/2023
I've written up a small rundown of an open-source satellite imagery gap tracking project I put together in 2017, complete with workflow. This aimed to show when the DPRK could conduct missile ops outside of satellite view. www.armscontrolwonk.com/archive/121…
armscontrolwonk.com
SinpoSatBot Post Mortem
Twitter’s Anniversary Notification has reminded me that I put together a small satellite imagery management project, SinpoSatBot, six years ago to win an [...]
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Marco Langbroek @marcolangbroek.bsky.social · 09/07/2023
So, taking a look here to see if it is an alternative for twitter in case it further collapses. My main activity for the time being will still be twitter as I do not want to abandon my 20K followers there.
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Cheryl Rofer @cherylrofer.bsky.social · 07/07/2023
Very cool.
nucleardiner.wordpress.com
Aaaannd – They’re Gone!
The US's chemical weapons have all been destroyed.
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Jeffrey Lewis @armscontrolwonk.bsky.social · 07/07/2023
I am slightly surprised that Germany is buying Arrow-3 from Israel because it's such an unusual missile defense system. While most kill vehicles use a divert attitude control system, Arrow-3 has a unique design -- a solid rocket motor with thrust vector control.
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Scott LaFoy @wslafoy.bsky.social · 06/07/2023
New ACW pod ep up! The team talks about the DPRK's new space launcher and satellite, the allegations of DPRK theft of Ukrainian rocket tech, and the implications of a (future) nascent DPRK satellite imagery capability. patreon.com/posts/85699992
patreon.com
Just a moment...
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Funranium (AKA Phil Broughton) @funranium.bsky.social · 06/07/2023
I’m running a few days late, but I found it. I found my most liked/hated tweet. Because of this tweet, I got to block quite a few people for whom the idea of specific regulatory terminology and, really, the idea of safety itself is appalling. Signs get people all excited.
Contractor: Here’s the signs I got for the laser lab
Me: They’re wrong. I specifically told you “Warning” not “Danger”.
Contractor: They’re the same thing!
Me: No. One means there’s a hazard in this room that MIGHT kill you. The other means it WILL kill you. 
Contractor: Oh.
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Cheryl Rofer @cherylrofer.bsky.social · 06/07/2023
Here's what I wrote on Zaporizhzhia Tuesday. The site owners have not seen fit to prioritize this community, but over the last couple of weeks, there are a lot more of us here.
nucleardiner.wordpress.com
The Danger At Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant
A Chernobyl-type accident is not possible at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.
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Hans Kristensen @nukestrat.bsky.social · 05/07/2023
Happy to see that my colleague Matt Korda is now also on Bluesky @mattkorda.bsky.social
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Hans Kristensen @nukestrat.bsky.social · 02/07/2023
With all the statements and debate about Russian nuclear weapons in Belarus, Matt Korda and I did a review of potential facilities. We don't know what we don't know but in terms of what we have seen so far on satellite images we're underwhelmed.
fas.org
Russian Nuclear Weapons Deployment Plans in Belarus: Is There Visual Confirmation? - Federation of A...
New satellite images show that the construction of a double-fenced security perimeter is underway at a weapons depot near the town of Asipovichy in central Belarus.
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OSINTtechnical @osinttechnical.bsky.social · 03/07/2023
Looks like more and more of OSINT twitter is hopping over here, I'm even having trouble keeping track of all of the accounts, feel free to tag some below.
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Casillic @casillic.bsky.social · 13/06/2023
Nuclear Rocket Engine at NRDS Station at Jackass Flat!
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Cheryl Rofer @cherylrofer.bsky.social · 12/06/2023
Okay, y'all. If you need to know where the President's briefcase that can launch the nukes is at all times, follow @atomicanalyst.bsky.social. He also provides threads on atomic history.
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Stephen Schwartz @atomicanalyst.bsky.social · 13/06/2023
Fun Fact: military aides to the president and vice president who carry and are responsible for the Presidential Emergency Satchel (aka the “Football”) receive a football-shaped challenge coin from the president or vice president at some point during their tour of duty.
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Scott LaFoy @wslafoy.bsky.social · 12/06/2023
New Arms Control Wonk Podcast episode up! Ankit Panda and @armscontrolwonk.bsky.social hang out by the pool at the Shangri-la Dialogue to discuss competing visions of security architectures, the near absence of DPRK nuke talk, and about Jeffrey's new nine-dash line. patreon.com/posts/84475390
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Scott LaFoy @wslafoy.bsky.social · 08/06/2023
Would absolutely love to see @kenwhite.bsky.social's take on the implications of labeling AI generated imagery that is mixed into real images as political speech. www.theverge.com/2023/6/8/23753626/…
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Jeffrey Lewis @armscontrolwonk.bsky.social · 31/05/2023
Presumed top of the first stage oxidizer tank in 2023 and 2013. (It’s hard to be sure about the 2023 debris.)
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