MPC&A Operations Monitoring (MOM) Project

The September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon demonstrated the ability of terrorists to implement sophisticated, well-planned operations that can inflict mass casualties within the continental United States. To thwart efforts by terrorists to acquire nuclear devices, the Material Protection Control and Accounting (MPC&A) Program is accelerating security upgrades at nuclear facilities in Russia and examining ways to address additional threats involving terrorists acquiring weapons of mass destruction. In this post September 11th environment, the program is emphasizing the deployment of systems that allow U.S. and Russian partners to jointly monitor the effectiveness of the MPC&A systems installed by the program, as well as provide surveillance of other materials that could be used by terrorists. A key component in this effort is the MPC&A Operations Monitoring (MOM) project. MOM involves the installation of off the shelf, unattended monitoring systems that will allow Russian and U.S. Government officials to monitor material, people, and processes at Russian sites to determine if the systems are being used effectively, and how to correct the inevitable problems that can arise during their operation. Joint Security Inspections carried out by DOE officials with the appropriate GAN and MINATOM inspectors will provide a system of checks and balances for site operators, and help encourage facilities to transition to independent MPC&A operations. This paper will address the concept, applications, and implementation strategy of the MOM systems, discuss how joint U.S. /Russian Security inspections will support the program's Exit Strategy, and improve the effectiveness of MPC&A systems.