Non-Proliferation

The United States will host a Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) meeting this month in Washington, D.C., to “examine changes in the proliferation and interdiction landscape” and “identify specific areas where PSI states can further focus their efforts,” according to the Department of State. The Jan. 27 conference, to be hosted by Assistant Secretary of State […]

The Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) said last week it has combined seismic and gas-flow models to create a new method to detect underground nuclear explosions. This method offers “a more complete picture of how an explosion’s evidence (radionuclide gases) seep to the surface,” LANL said. Radionuclide gases produced by underground nuclear testing may travel […]

The Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) said last week it has combined seismic and gas-flow models to create a new method to detect underground nuclear explosions. This method offers “a more complete picture of how an explosion’s evidence (radionuclide gases) seep to the surface,” LANL said. Radionuclide gases produced by underground nuclear testing may travel […]

Alissa Tabirian NS&D Monitor 12/18/2015 The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) has reorganized its Office of Emergency Operations (NA-40) and its Office of Counterterrorism and Counterproliferation (NA-80) in support of the Department of Energy’s (DOE) new preparedness approach for emergencies such as adverse weather, accidents, or terrorism. NA-40 will “focus its efforts primarily on building […]

Alissa Tabirian NS&D Monitor 12/18/2015 The former president of the U.S. branch of a Russian nuclear company this week was sentenced to 48 months in prison for helping arrange over $2 million in “corrupt payments” meant to aid U.S. businesses in securing contracts with the Russian state-owned nuclear energy corporation, the Department of Justice (DOJ) […]

The former president of the U.S. branch of a Russian nuclear company yesterday was sentenced to 48 months in prison for helping arrange over $2 million in “corrupt payments” meant to aid U.S. businesses in securing contracts for the Russian state-owned nuclear energy corporation, the Department of Justice announced. Vadim Mikerin was president of TENAM […]

    The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) said last week it has reorganized its Office of Emergency Operations (NA-40) and its Office of Counterterrorism and Counterproliferation (NA-80) in support of the Department of Emergency’s (DOE) new preparedness approach for emergencies such as adverse weather, accidents, or terrorism.   NA-40 will “focus its efforts primarily […]

Alissa Tabirian NS&D Monitor 12/11/2015 Two nongovernmental nonproliferation organizations on Wednesday issued a joint declaration on preventing nuclear weapons proliferation and nuclear terrorism that called “as a matter of the highest priority for there to be an urgent and immediate requirement to rebuild U.S.-Russian relations.” The joint declaration by the International Luxembourg Forum on Preventing […]

Two nongovernmental nonproliferation organizations on Wednesday issued a joint declaration on preventing nuclear weapons proliferation and nuclear terrorism that called “as a matter of the highest priority for there to be an urgent and immediate requirement to rebuild U.S.-Russian relations.” The joint declaration by the International Luxembourg Forum on Preventing Nuclear Catastrophe and the Nuclear […]

Alissa Tabirian NS&D Monitor 12/4/2015 Lawmakers this week criticized the Obama administration for the years-long delay in reporting to Congress their concerns regarding a Russian violation of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty and for the United States’ lack of progress in restoring Russian compliance with the treaty. The treaty between the United States and […]

Brian Bradley NS&D Monitor 12/4/2015 A Mission Impossible-like, self-destructing file is one of several potential options for safe 3-D printing of nuclear weapons while limiting the spread of additive-manufactured bomb components abroad, experts said Tuesday as policymakers and nuclear experts wrestle with an ever-evolving array of global risk scenarios surrounding the technology. Matthew Kroenig, a […]

Alissa Tabirian NS&D Monitor 12/4/2015 Former U.S. and Russian officials this week called for an urgent restoration of the two nations’ communication and nonproliferation cooperation due to shared nonproliferation concerns. Speaking Tuesday at a conference hosted by the International Luxembourg Forum on Preventing Nuclear Catastrophe and the Nuclear Threat Initiative, former Sen. Sam Nunn (D-GA), […]

Former U.S. and Russian arms control officials this week called for an urgent restoration of the two nations’ communication and arms control cooperation due to shared nonproliferation concerns. Speaking Tuesday at a conference hosted by the International Luxembourg Forum on Preventing Nuclear Catastrophe and the Nuclear Threat Initiative, former Sen. Sam Nunn (D-GA), a primary […]

A Mission Impossible-like, self-destructing file is one of several potential options to safely 3-D print nuclear weapons while limiting the spread of additive-manufactured bomb components, experts said Tuesday as policymakers and nuclear experts wrestle with an ever-evolving array of global risk scenarios surrounding the technology. Matthew Kroenig, Georgetown University associate professor and nuclear expert, ?during […]

Lassina Zerbo, the head of the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO), visited National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) sites last week, including the Nevada National Security Site and the Los Alamos (LANL) and Lawrence Livermore (LLNL) national laboratories. The NNSA said that in addition to observing the operations of the Stockpile Stewardship […]

The International Partnership for Nuclear Disarmament Verification (IPNDV) last week at its second plenary meeting launched three working groups to address nuclear weapons dismantlement, inspection regimes, and warhead verification. The U.S. State Department, in partnership with the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI), established the IPNDV last year to build global capacity in nuclear disarmament verification by […]

The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) last week said it joined with the United Kingdom’s Department of Energy and Climate Change to conduct a global maritime supply chain security workshop. The workshop, held in the U.K., featured "best practices for deterring, detecting, and responding to trafficking of nuclear and radiological material that could be acquired by […]

Alissa Tabirian NS&D Monitor 11/20/2015 The United States is considering “economic and military responses” to Russia’s violation of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, a senior State Department official said last week.  Frank Rose, assistant secretary of the Bureau of Arms Control, Verification, and Compliance, said Russia committed a “serious violation” against “one of the core […]

Alissa Tabirian NS&D Monitor 11/20/2015 A program that promotes innovative ideas for nuclear disarmament is calling on the gaming community to develop digital game ideas to educate the public on the risk of nuclear weapons. N Square, a $2.4 million pilot program, has partnered with Games for Change, an organization that promotes the development of […]

A program that promotes innovative ideas for nuclear disarmament is calling on the gaming community to develop digital game ideas to educate the public on the risk of nuclear weapons. N Square, a $2.4 million pilot program, has partnered with Games for Change, an organization that promotes the development of digital social impact games, in […]

The United States is considering “economic and military responses” in the event of Russia’s violation of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, a senior State Department official said last week.  Frank Rose, assistant secretary of the Bureau of Arms Control, Verification, and Compliance, said Russia committed a “serious violation” against “one of the core tenets of […]

Alissa Tabirian NS&D Monitor 11/13/2015 Partnerships between universities and national laboratories that support the National Nuclear Security Administration’s (NNSA) Office of Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation are developing new detection, verification, and network analysis technologies for nonproliferation while promoting a student-to-lab pipeline meant to recruit a new generation of technical experts into the nuclear security enterprise. A […]

Alissa Tabirian NS&D Monitor 11/13/2015 The strength of the United States’ global partnerships on civil nuclear cooperation lie in the quality and reliability of American nuclear components and the reputational advantages they offer to foreign nations, according to a Department of State official. Thomas Countryman, assistant secretary of the Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation, […]

Alissa Tabirian NS&D Monitor 11/13/2015 A report released this week by the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) calls on governments to address lax protection of military nuclear materials globally by bolstering physical security at nuclear facilities, sharing information on inventories and security procedures with international partners, and offering public commitments at next year’s Nuclear Security Summit on securing […]

Alissa Tabirian NS&D Monitor 11/13/2015 Analysts and specialists from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) this week in Washington, D.C., highlighted research projects that offer nuclear nonproliferation applications. Speaking at the American Nuclear Society’s annual winter meeting, IAEA analyst Regine Schuler said that to provide credible assurance “that […]

A report released this week by the Nuclear Threat Initiative calls on governments to address lax protection of military nuclear materials globally by bolstering physical security at nuclear facilities, sharing information on inventories and security procedures with international partners, and offering public commitments at next year’s Nuclear Security Summit on securing military materials. The report, prepared by representatives from […]

The strength of the United States’ global partnerships on civil nuclear cooperation lie in the quality and reliability of American nuclear components and the reputational advantages they offer to foreign nations, according to a Department of State official. Thomas Countryman, assistance secretary of the Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation, said last Friday at the […]

Chris Schneidmiller NS&D Monitor 11/6/2015 A National Nuclear Security Administration program to identify potential nuclear proliferation threats in future years has multiple limitations that could undermine its effectiveness, the Government Accountability Office said in a report issued on Oct. 30. The “Over the Horizon” (OTH) program under the NNSA Office of Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation (DNN) […]

NS&D Monitor 11/6/2015 IN THE NNSA The Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) and Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) late last month hosted eight foreign disarmament experts representing Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) non-nuclear weapon states for a transparency visit. The U.S. labs demonstrated technologies “through which the United States maintains the nuclear weapon stockpile in a non-testing […]

The five nations recognized as nuclear-weapon states by the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty held roughly 238 metric tons of plutonium and 1,330 metric tons of highly enriched uranium at the end of 2014, according to a research report issued on Tuesday. The material would be sufficient to power about 80,000 nuclear weapons, based on the assumption […]