Applied Monitoring and Transparency Initiatives for Nuclear Weapon and Fissile Material Reductions

The United States and Russia have declared their mutual interest in dramatically reducing excess stocks of nuclear weapons and fundamentally altering the nature of their strategic nuclear relationship. Meeting this objective presents significant technical challenges. It also presents an opportunity for long-term collaborative science and technology initiatives between the U.S. and Russia that are devoted to developing technologies to facilitate and monitor the implementation of further nuclear stockpile reductions. To support this opportunity, Los Alamos National Laboratory established the Applied Monitoring and Transparency Laboratory (AMTL). The AMTL develops inspection systems, protocols, and transparency measures to provide confidence that nuclear weapons and fissile materials have been permanently and safely removed or isolated from military programs. The AMTL makes effective inspection and monitoring technologies available to national decision-makers, fosters collaboration between prospective parties to nuclear security agreements, and facilitates joint development of transparency and monitoring technologies. This paper outlines the AMTL strategic approach, current focus areas, achievements over the past year, and objectives for the future.