Overview of the U.S. – Russian Laboratory-to-Laboratory Warhead Dismantlement Transparency Program: A U.S. Perspective

The U.S.- Russian Lab-to-Lab Warhead Dismantlement Transparency program is an initiative designed to sustain an unclassified technical dialogue between U.S. and Russian experts on warhead dismantlement transparency and to develop advocates for transparency within the U.S. and Russian nuclear weapons complexes. U.S. national laboratories contract with Russian laboratories to define and develop concepts and technologies for use in potential monitored dismantlement scenarios. To date over fifty lab-to-lab contracts have been signed and numerous technologies are in various stages of research and development. The ultimate goal of the program is to jointly develop technologies for policymakers and negotiators in both the United States and Russia and make them aware of technical issues affecting prospective arms control and nonproliferation agreements.