Open Skies Treaty

The Open Skies Treaty is one of the few remaining arms control mechanisms between Vancouver and Vladivostok. Since 2002, the unique agreement permits 34 states to conduct unarmed observation flights over other member states’ entire territories. The main objective is to be able to observe military changes. The treaty particularly promotes military transparency and confidence building between states. Representatives of the observed state can be on board of the observing aircraft. States can request all images that are collected during overflights of other treaty members. In the fall of 2020 the U.S. administration under President Trump withdrew from the treaty. The outcome is still uncertain. European member states support the continuation of the treaty.

Alexander Graef and Moritz Kütt are currently working on the Open Skies Treaty. Members of the U.S.-German-Russian Deep Cuts Commission analyze the agreement, too.

The U.S. and the Treaty on Open Skies
Dr. Alexander Graef
The United States have announced their intention to withdraw from the Open Skies Treaty. The decision will take effect in November this year. However, already on 06 July a state conference of all…
Read more

More on the Treaty on Open Skies

How to fix, preserve and strengthen the Open Skies Treaty?
Dr. Oliver Meier
The Deep Cuts Project cordially invites you to the following Zoom briefing:
After the Trump Administration's declared exit: How to fix, preserve and strengthen the Open Skies Treaty
on
June 12,…
Read more
(Re)searching for Peace: First Anniversary of “Arms of Control and Emerging Technologies” at the IFSH
The world is in a state of upheaval. States are arming themselves. Newer and even more powerful weapons are being developed, and some are already being put to use. From the termination of the INF…
Read more
Open Skies-Treaty on the Brink of Collapse? Interview with the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
Dr. Alexander Graef, Dr. Moritz Kütt
The Open Skies Treaty is in danger. IFSH researcher Alexander Graef and Moritz Kütt talked to Thomas Gaulkin from the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists about their Open Skies visualization project…
Read more
IFSH researchers visualize the Open Skies Treaty
Dr. Alexander Graef Dr. Moritz Kütt
The Open Skies Treaty is in danger. Signed in March 1992, it has been in force since January 2002 and permits 34 states in Europe and North America, including Germany, to conduct unarmed observation…
Read more

Books and Edited Volumes

Kühn, Ulrich. 2020.
The Rise and Fall of Cooperative Arms Control in Europe.
Demokratie, Sicherheit, Frieden 224. Baden-Baden: Nomos Verlag. DOI: 10.5771/9783748903239.
Largely identical with

Kühn, Ulrich. 2016.
Cooperative Arms Control in Europe (1973–2014). A Case of Regime Decay?.
Hamburg.

Book Chapters

Kertysova, Katarina, Alexander Graef. 2021.
Open Skies in the Arctic: Challenges and Opportunities.
In: On Thin Ice? Perspectives on Arctic Security, edited by Duncan Depledge, P. Whitney Lackenbauer, 91-106. Peterborough, ON: North American and Arctic Defence and Security Network (NAADSN).
Updated version published as Updated version published as

Kertysova, Katarina, Alexander Graef. 2021.
Open Skies in the Arctic: Challenges and Opportunities.
Euro-Atlantic Security Report. London: European Leadership Network.

Working Papers and Policy Briefs

Kertysova, Katarina, Alexander Graef. 2021.
Open Skies in the Arctic: Challenges and Opportunities.
Euro-Atlantic Security Report. London: European Leadership Network.
Updated version of

Kertysova, Katarina, Alexander Graef. 2021.
Open Skies in the Arctic: Challenges and Opportunities.
In: On Thin Ice? Perspectives on Arctic Security, edited by Duncan Depledge, P. Whitney Lackenbauer, 91-106. Peterborough, ON: North American and Arctic Defence and Security Network (NAADSN).

Graef, Alexander. 2020.
Saving the Open Skies Treaty: Challenges and possible scenarios after the U.S. withdrawal.
Policy Brief. London: European Leadership Network.
Bell, Alexandra, Wolfgang Richter, Andrei Zagorski. 2020.
How to fix, preserve and strengthen the Open Skies Treaty.
Deep Cuts Issue Brief 9. Hamburg: IFSH.

Commentaries and other Publications

Graef, Alexander. 2021.
Is There a Future for Open Skies Without Russia? Hybrid War: Russia vs. the West.
In: Carnegie Moscow Center
Graef, Alexander. 2020.
Goodbye, Open Skies?.
In: Riddle
Graef, Alexander. 2020.
US-Rückzug aus „Open Skies“-Abkommen. Haltet Russland im Vertrag.
In: TAZ
Graef, Alexander. 2020.
Haltet den Himmel offen!.
In: FAZ.net
Graef, Alexander, Moritz Kütt. 2020.
Visualizing the Open Skies Treaty.
In: Openskies.flights
Graef, Alexander. 2019.
Sicherheitspolitik: Der «Vertrag über den Offenen Himmel» ist gefährdet.
In: Neue Zürcher Zeitung

The U.S. and the Treaty on Open Skies

How to fix, preserve and strengthen the Open Skies Treaty?

(Re)searching for Peace: First Anniversary of “Arms of Control and Emerging Technologies” at the IFSH