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 GraefRead moreThe 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…
More on the Treaty on Open Skies
How to fix, preserve and strengthen the Open Skies Treaty?
Dr. Oliver MeierRead moreThe 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 Treatyon
June 12,…
(Re)searching for Peace: First Anniversary of “Arms of Control and Emerging Technologies” at the IFSH
Read moreThe 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…
Open Skies-Treaty on the Brink of Collapse? Interview with the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
Dr. Alexander Graef, Dr. Moritz KüttRead moreThe 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…
IFSH researchers visualize the Open Skies Treaty
Dr. Alexander Graef Dr. Moritz KüttRead moreThe 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…
Books and Edited Volumes
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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.
Working Papers and Policy Briefs
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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
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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