Addressing the Threat of State-Level Radiological Weapons Programs
Abstract
State pursuit and development of radiological dispersal devices (RDDs or “dirty bombs”) is a surprisingly unexplored field of research in WMD and nonproliferation studies, with most scholarship on radiological weapons presuming their exclusive appeal to non-state actors. Yet several countries have pursued radiological weapons programs: the United States and the Soviet Union possessed large-scale programs in the early Cold War, and there are indications that several other states, including Iraq and possibly Egypt, subsequently have sought to acquire radiological weapons. Recently, media reports of North Korea equipping commando units and unmanned aerial vehicles to spread radioactive material have raised the specter of an active DPRK radiological weapons program. The James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies (CNS) proposes a two-phase effort to analyze state interest in and pursuit of radiological weapons. First, CNS would conduct a study examining historical interest by states in radiological weapons, their technical aspects, and potential military uses. Second, CNS would explore various approaches to address the challenge of state radiological weapons programs in the contemporary strategic environment. Following completion of the research, CNS experts would brief representatives of appropriate US government agencies on their findings.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Oct 17, 2018
- Source ID
- FA70001710022
Entities
People
- Jeffery Lewis
Organizations
- Defense Threat Reduction Agency
- Middlebury College
- United States Air Force Academy