Nuclear Smuggling: How Serious a Threat?

Abstract

The unprecedented leakage of nuclear materials from the former Soviet Union (FSU) in 1994 signaled a clear shift in the nature and significance of the nuclear smuggling problem. The apparent pause in leakage in 1995 does not provide much comfort since conditions in the FSU conducive to nuclear leakage remain relatively unchanged. The barrier once faced by a rogue state or a terrorist group to the acquisition of a sufficient amount of special nuclear material to construct a nuclear weapon (or some other nuclear device) has been breached and is no longer as formidable. The U.S. government has recognized that the current threat is very serious and that it could get a lot worse. Critics believe that the U.S. government has not responded adequately to the nature and seriousness of the threat.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jan 01, 1996
Accession Number
ADA394320

Entities

People

  • James L. Ford

Organizations

  • National Defense University

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Counter WMD
  • Ground and Sea Platforms
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Acquisition
  • Central Europe
  • Europe
  • Fissile Materials
  • Germany
  • Governments
  • Law Enforcement
  • Materials
  • National Security
  • Nuclear Materials
  • Nuclear Weapons
  • Radioactive Materials
  • Security
  • Terrorists
  • United States
  • Ussr
  • War Colleges

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Strategic Security Studies