Nuclear Technologies and Capabilities Development

Abstract

This project supports the development of verification and monitoring capabilities for the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) to counter proliferation and weapons of mass destruction (WMD). DTRA’s Nuclear Arms Control Technologies (NACT) program performs Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation (RDT&E) to improve the sustainability, reliability, and effectiveness of capabilities related to its operational mission to install, operate, maintain, and sustain the waveform and radionuclide nuclear detonation detection stations and a radionuclide analysis laboratory comprising the majority of the U.S. portion of the International Monitoring System (IMS). This system delivers data continuously to the U.S. monitoring and verification community supports warfighter and interagency nuclear-event response in support of U.S. and Department of Defense (DoD) objectives and the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT). The project addresses WMD monitoring, implementation of, and compliance with arms control agreement requirements validated by the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense, Acquisition and Sustainment. This project conforms to the administration’s research and development priorities related to countering WMD. Technical assessments are made against nuclear treaty implementation and nuclear event response requirements to provide the basis for sound project development, evaluate existing programs, provide U.S. International Monitoring System (IMS) data, and to access international IMS data required to support U.S. monitoring policy, decision-makers, and negotiation teams. The primary RDT&E program emphasis is to improve the efficiency, performance, reliability, and sustainability of U.S. IMS stations; optimize IMS capabilities to support both nuclear treaty monitoring and nuclear-event response; and improve capabilities to detect, characterize, and enable discrimination of nuclear events. The NACT program directly supports U.S. and allied warfighter and national technical monitoring requirements and provides vital data used by the treaty monitoring community, warfighter planners, DoD, other U.S. Government agencies, and international agencies.

Open PDF

Document Details

Document Type
Project
Publication Date
Oct 01, 2020
Source ID
RD_0605000BR_5_0400_PB_2020

Tags

Readers

  • Critical Infrastructure Protection in CBRN and WMD Threats.
  • Defense Technology Research and Development.

Related Documents