The NMMSS Evolving Role In Enhancing International Nuclear Security

The NMMSS Evolving Role in Enhancing International Nuclear SecuritySince its inception during the 1960s, NMMSS has played an indispensable role in providing decision makers and regulators with essential information that both informs and services the policy-making apparatus of the U.S. government. The NMMSS role has been shaped by geopolitical considerations as it evolved to address the ever-changing nuclear threat landscape. The initial NMMSS raison d'etre was to support the Cold War-era demand for nuclear materials for weapons production. After the end of the Cold War in early 1990s, the NMMSS mission changed from materials production to supporting the transformation of the U.S. nuclear weapons complex. The 1990s emphasis included nuclear materials disposition activities associated with arms reduction initiatives, including the blend down of excess highly enriched uranium to low enriched uranium. In 2010 the emphasis changed from primarily tracking domestic activities to leveraging existing capabilities monitoring international movements involving U.S. origin nuclear materials. This change addressed the concern of radiological terrorism posed by subnational organizations or individuals. In this context, NMMSS continues to evolve as it performs an essential role in the international arena.This paper examines how NMMSS approached one significant aspect of its new international tracking mandate—the monitoring of in-transit nuclear material shipments. This paper explores the import/export processes and explains how existing data sources from stakeholders such as foreign trading partners and regulators are used to enhance international security. Furthermore, the paper presents recommendations for further deliberation by security professionals and the international community.