Spencer August Faragasso is a Senior Fellow with the Institute for Science and International Security (the Institute). He focuses on North Korea, Iran, Russia, and the use of advanced drones in the war in Ukraine. Mr. Faragasso is a graduate of American University and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science with a concentration in policy. During his time with the Institute, Mr. Faragasso has been accredited as a co-author of several books: Illicit Trade Networks: Connecting the Dots (2020) and both the Institutes 2021/2022 and 2023/2024 editions of the Peddling Peril Index (PPI).  

Mr. Faragasso has also conducted extensive open-source research on Russian and Iranian advanced conventional drone systems. His work has contributed to uncovering numerous critical components used in Russian and Iranian drones produced by Western firms as well as a drone production facility in Russia, the first public report of its kind on the facility. Outside of advanced conventional drone systems, Mr. Faragasso has co-authored and published technical reports on nuclear facilities in Iran and North Korea, drawing on satellite imagery analysis, international IAEA reports, and expertise from himself and report co-authors.