Year
2002
Abstract
The United States Navy has used war games to aid the definition of operational needs, identification of technology solutions, and formulation of short- and long-term investment strategies. Gaming provides the scenario setting and the “group dynamic” to better solve difficult problems and identify solutions to challenging problems. The various disciplines and techniques used in these activities can assist in the identification of technology applications, examination of concepts and procedures for safeguarding nuclear material, and improvement in overall program management capabilities. Government agencies and private companies who are responsible for safeguarding nuclear materials are reevaluating the threat to their organizations posed by terrorists in light of the attacks in New York and Washington, D.C. on September 11th. Attack scenarios that had previously been evaluated as improbable must now be carefully reevaluated to determine the potential consequences and to identify effective strategies for countering such an attack. The techniques of war gaming are especially powerful for exploring the ramifications of new concepts, new technologies, and new threats, as well as finding new solutions to old problems. These techniques are far less expensive, and much more quickly applied than building each potential capability and testing it. This paper addresses the potential applications of war gaming for nuclear material management, for evaluating new strategies to safeguard nuclear materials, and for identifying new technologies that can be used to counter the present-day terrorist threat.