BEYOND THE NEXT GENERATION SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM - SAFEGUARDS SURVEILLANCE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE 2030S

The surveillance technology currently used in international nuclear safeguards was developed around 2007 and first fielded in 2010. It is expected that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will require new surveillance cameras from 2025 onwards since the current Next Generation Surveillance System (NGSS, Figure-1) technology will face obsolescence. A new system is expected to operate for a minimum period of ten years after installation and shall take into account the lessons learned in implementing the NGSS as well as provide technology improvements where needed. This paper presents a starting point in trying to define user requirements for such a new surveillance system, based on the expressed needs of safeguards inspectors, the overall need of the IAEA for a reliable, affordable and sustainable system and the need for high data security considering the potential challenges faced in the 2030s.