This agreement with Croatia is the latest example of NNSA’s commitment to work with our international partners to prevent terrorists from getting their hands on nuclear and radiological material
– By Stephen Heiser –
The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) has announced that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Croatia. The MOU will allow NNSA to help equip Croatia’s strategic points of entry—such as border crossings, airports, and seaports—with new radiation detection systems and train Croatian Customs in the use and maintenance of this equipment. The cooperation will strengthen the capability of Croatia to deter, detect, and interdict illicit trafficking in nuclear and other radioactive materials in the Balkan region.
“This agreement with Croatia is the latest example of NNSA’s commitment to work with our international partners to prevent terrorists from getting their hands on nuclear and radiological material,” NNSA Principal Assistant Deputy Administrator for Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation Ken Baker said. “Croatia is an important partner in preventing proliferation and we look forward to continuing to work with them to improve border security and combat nuclear terrorism.”
This agreement will help NNSA meet its goal of equipping 650 sites with radiation detection equipment.
In April 2009, President Obama outlined an ambitious agenda to secure vulnerable nuclear material around the world within four years, calling the danger of a terrorist acquiring nuclear weapons "the most immediate and extreme threat to global security." In this year's State of the Union, he called the threat of nuclear weapons, "the greatest danger to the American people."
NNSA’s Second Line of Defense (SLD) program, which works collaboratively with foreign governments at border crossings, airports, seaports, and other points of entry to install specialized radiation detection equipment and associated communications equipment, plays a critical role in the U.S. effort to implement President Obama’s nuclear security agenda.
The SLD Program also provides training to host government border guard officials and other personnel to detect smuggled nuclear and other radioactive materials. NNSA has installed similar equipment at over 300 sites in 40 countries around the world.
NNSA has also worked with Croatia on strengthening its export controls to prevent the illicit transfer of nuclear technologies. Specifically, the International Nonproliferation Export Control Program has engaged Croatian Customs on commodity identification and portable metal analyzer training in order to strengthen Croatian enforcement of export controls.
Established by Congress in 2000, NNSA is a semi-autonomous agency within the U.S. Department of Energy responsible for enhancing national security through the military application of nuclear science in the nation’s national security enterprise. NNSA maintains and enhances the safety, security, reliability, and performance of the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile without nuclear testing; reduces the global danger from weapons of mass destruction; provides the U.S. Navy with safe and effective nuclear propulsion; and responds to nuclear and radiological emergencies in the U.S. and abroad. Visit http://www.nnsa.energy.gov/ for more information.