Picture: Missile Matters. Shoutout to the Friedrich-Naumann Foundation for printing this great laptop sticker.
Dear readers,
A few days ago, Missile Matters reached 10,000 subscribers. That’s an incredible achievement, one I would not have thought possible when I started this project. I am using this milestone to introduce some changes and new formats. Most importantly, going forward, Missile Matters will start offering paid subscriptions.
In this post, I want to explain what changes, what does not, and why.
Why are these changes coming now?
Let’s go back in time.
I started seriously reading about missile-related topics in 2019, fresh out of my bachelor’s studies at the University of Groningen. I cannot say exactly what fascinated me about this technology, but I remember having a hunch that missile systems might become more relevant than they appeared to many at the time.
That hunch carried me through my master’s studies at King’s College London and into a doctoral position at the University of Oslo. There, my PhD project, which began centered on nuclear strategy, gradually turned into a dissertation on conventional long-range strike weapons. This dissertation was submitted in February of this year and will be defended in less than two weeks.
I started Missile Matters in September 2024 to provide analysis on missile technology and the role of missile systems in modern war. My very first post on this site was titled “The Value of Striking Deep: How a Ukrainian Deep-Strike Campaign Can Change the War.” I wrote it because I was frustrated with the lack of understanding of how missile technology would affect the dynamics of the Russo-Ukrainian War, which I predicted would come to favor Ukraine. In hindsight, and I say this with the humility of someone who has been wrong many times, I was spot on.
Since then, the blog has grown far beyond what I ever thought possible, and it is now read in ministries, armed forces, defense companies, newsrooms, think tanks, and universities across Europe, North America, and beyond. That said, I am especially proud of the general readership I have managed to attract — the large number of people who do not necessarily work on these topics in a professional capacity but understand that, for better or worse, it makes sense to stay informed about missile-related developments.
As Missile Matters has grown, it has also become more labor-intensive.
Often, the posts that resonate most with readers are the ones that create the most work: estimates of Russian missile production rates, assessments of global missile markets, analyses of European defense-industrial capacity. Work of this kind requires hours, sometimes days, of research, enabled by years of experience and my professional network in the field. As the blog is increasingly used as a professional resource, it has become difficult to justify keeping it entirely free. Paid subscriptions will allow me to do more of this work, more consistently, and to keep it independent: no sponsors, no advertisers, just analysis funded by readers.
What stays free
All my reactive analysis will remain free. This includes initial assessments whenever relevant missile-related developments occur, battle damage assessments of missile strike events, and commentary on other breaking news related to missile technology. All this will continue to arrive in your inbox at no cost, as it has for the past two years. The entire existing archive also remains free.
The paid tier builds on top of this for those who want to go deeper.
What paid subscribers receive
Paid subscribers will receive three benefits.
First, one to two additional posts per month containing my most comprehensive analytical work on missile capabilities, industries, and markets. These posts will carry free previews, so all readers can see what they cover.
Second, a monthly research digest: a curated overview of the most important reports, papers, and open-source analyses in the missile domain, with my brief assessment of each, so you know what is worth your time and why.
Third, access to a subscriber-only chat room where you can ask written questions and interact with the subscriber community.
Pricing
A paid subscription costs $10 per month or $100 per year.
Readers who want to provide additional support can become founding members for $250 per year, which includes an invitation to a live Q&A call with me three to four times a year where we discuss the most important developments in the missile domain.
Many of you read Missile Matters professionally. If that applies to you, a subscription likely qualifies as a professional expense, and group subscriptions are available at a discount for teams and institutions.
Thank you
Missile Matters began as a side project and has become one of the most rewarding parts of my professional life. That is entirely due to you, the readers who open these posts, share them, push back in the comments, and send corrections and tips. I am incredibly thankful for that.
If you have found value in this work over the past two years and want to see more of it, becoming a paid subscriber is the most direct way to make that happen. And if you stay on the free list, you remain every bit as welcome here as you have always been.
Additional announcements
Three additional announcements:
On Tuesday, 4 August, 13:15 ET/18:15 BST/19:15 CEST, I will go live with Phillips P. OBrien for a deep dive into missile and drone technology in the current phase of the Russo-Ukrainian War.
As stated above, I will be defending my PhD on 13 August. PhD defenses in Norway are public, so if any of you are in Oslo and would like to attend, please do so. You can find the details here.
There will be a 10k subscriber special in the near future, though probably after the defense. I still have to decide on the format, but a Substack Live, potentially with some guests, seems like a great option.
Thanks again for all your support.
All the best,
Fabian
Good luck in defending your dissertation! Stand tall, and make the presentation dynamic!
Congratulations! I won’t subscribe since I don’t have enough time to read all the stacks I’m already subscribed to, but providing deeper analysis for subscribers seems like a good idea.