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Policy

Nuclear Deterrence Needs Upgrading

by David J. Hanson
August 2, 2010 | A version of this story appeared in Volume 88, Issue 31

The ability of the U.S. to discover, seize, and analyze nuclear materials and devices that are threats to national security is not what it should be, according to an analysis by the National Research Council. The NRC report, which was released on July 29, finds that the U.S. capacity for nuclear forensics—the technical capability to analyze interdicted nuclear materials and debris from nuclear detonations and explosions, and to simulate weapons performance—is in danger of decline without organizational improvements and increased funding. According to the report, there are too few people skilled in nuclear forensics, and the facilities and equipment used for most nuclear forensics work are old, outdated, and not built to modern environmental and safety standards. NRC recommends that the several agencies responsible for this security issue streamline their organizational structures and responsibilities, work to build a larger modern forensics workforce, and adapt their nuclear forensics efforts to the challenges of real situations.

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