NUCLEAR NONPROLIFERATION: Security of Russia's Nuclear Material Improving; Further Enhancements Needed

Abstract

Safeguarding nuclear material that can be used in nuclear weapons is a primary national security concern of the United States and Russia. Terrorists and countries seeking nuclear weapons could use as little as 25 kilograms of highly enriched uranium or 8 kilograms of plutonium to build a nuclear weapon. With the dissolution of the Soviet Union, it is estimated that Russia inherited 603 metric tons of highly enriched uranium and plutonium in forms highly attractive to theft. This amount of material is enough to produce almost 40,000 nuclear bombs. The breakdown of Soviet-era control systems, coupled with social and economic deterioration within Russia, has increased the threat of this material's theft or diversion.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Feb 01, 2001
Accession Number
ADA388053

Entities

Organizations

  • United States Government Accountability Office

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Ground and Sea Platforms
  • Human Systems
  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Congress
  • Control Systems
  • Cost Estimates
  • Detectors
  • Electronic Mail
  • Governments
  • National Security
  • Nuclear Bombs
  • Nuclear Energy
  • Nuclear Fuels
  • Nuclear Materials
  • Nuclear Reactors
  • Nuclear Weapons
  • Program Management
  • Reactor Fuels
  • Ussr
  • Video Surveillance

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Nuclear Non-Proliferation and International Security
  • Strategic Security Studies