U.S. Helps Russia Secure Nuclear Sites Against Theft, Attack
27 October 2006
Joint government program aims to prevent nuclear weapons proliferation
Washington – The United States has helped Russia secure 50 of its naval nuclear sites against the threat of theft or terrorist attack in an effort to protect them against nuclear weapons proliferation.
"Denying terrorists access to nuclear material is our top priority. These upgrades to Russian navy sites make it that much harder for terrorists to get their hands on dangerous nuclear material," said Linton Brooks, who heads the U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA).
According to an October 24 press release from the NNSA, the agency’s personnel worked with the Moscow-based Kurchatov Institute and the Russian Ministry of Defense to install intrusion-detection sensors, access controls and hardened defensive positions at the naval sites.
"We are also working closely with Russia to ensure that the upgrades we provide are sustained and maintained. Just last year, the Kola Technical Center was opened to train Russian guard forces and provide the technical infrastructure needed to make certain the upgrades are effective for the long term," said Brooks.
The work at the naval sites is part of a larger joint project the NNSA is conducting with Russia to secure and eliminate vulnerable nuclear weapons and weapons-usable material and to install radiation detection equipment at ports and border crossings that might be used to transfer nuclear material.
Additional information on the program is available at the NNSA Web site.
For additional information, see Arms Control and Non-Proliferation.
(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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