The Development and Implementation of NDA Equipment at the IAEA

With the implementation of the Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT)in the 1960s, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)needed the technical capability to independently verify thedeclared inventories of nuclear materials in the signatory countries.This requirement led to the development of technology thatincluded an array of nondestructive assay (NDA) instrumentationthat has continued to progress to the present day. During the fortyyears of development, NDA has evolved to keep pace with theimprovements in sensors and electronics as well as the changingrequirement of the nuclear materials and facilities. The initialNDA effort focused on portable equipment that could be transportedfrom Vienna to sites around the world for inspectors to usein the field. Key requirements for the equipment were simplicityand robustness to accommodate the training, transport, and use.Inspectors were expected to be qualified for field use of the largearray of NDA equipment that included gamma-ray, neutron, andoptical systems. This requirement necessitated the development ofa substantial training effort in Vienna and in the Member StateSupport Programs (MSSP). There has been a continuing need forthe training programs because of the turnover of the inspector staffand the changes in the technical requirements and equipment.