WEAPONS PROTECTION, CONTROL, AND ACCOUNTING (WPC&A)
Since 1992, the US Department of Defense (DOD) and
the Russian Ministry of Defense (MOD) have been jointly developing projects
to improve the safety and security of Russia's nuclear weapons as they
are dismantled, transported, and stored at sites throughout Russia. Projects
have included the delivery to Russia of armored blankets, security upgrade
kits for railcars, emergency response equipment, and supercontainers used
during transport. Ongoing WPC&A projects include upgrading security
at weapons storage sites, providing a computerized weapons stockpile system,
exchanging unclassified information about nuclear warheads, and providing
a drug and alcohol monitoring program for guards at weapons storage sites.
From 1992 through 1997, the DOD allocated $116 million of CTR funds for
WPC&A programs.[1] By 2000, total WPC&A
funding had reached $293.1 million, and the program's total cost is expected to
reach $967.7 by FY2007.[2] For more information on funding levels please
see the CTR Funding in Russia section of the
NIS Nuclear and Missile Database.
Sources:
[1] "Secretary Cohen Tours Russian
Defense Facility Nuclear Weapons Security Projects Viewed at Serviev [sic]
Posad," News Release of the Office of Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public
Affairs), no. 066-98, 13 February 1998.
[2] Cooperative Threat Reduction Annual
Report to Congress, Fiscal Year 2002. {Entered 3/3/98, PBI}{revised
3/23/99 JL} {Updated 8/27/2002 MJ}
ARMORED BLANKETS This program supplied 1,500 US Army nylon ballistic
blankets and 2,500 Kevlar armored blankets to enhance the protection of
containers and vehicles used to transport or store nuclear weapons slated
for dismantlement. The program was completed in June 1994. An audit and
examination were completed in November 1995.
[Department of Defense, "CTR Update:
Russia," 9/19/96.]
EMERGENCY RESPONSE TRAINING/EQUIPMENT The United States provides safety equipment to
cope with accidents during the transport of nuclear warheads to and within
Russia, the destruction and removal of ICBMs, and the destruction of silos.
Equipment in this category includes rail-mounted and road-mobile cranes,
VHF portable radios, portable command and control computers, chemical and
fire fighting protective clothing, personal dosimetry equipment, Violinist
III x-ray, and gamma ray instrument kits, and air sampling monitors. Transportation
and logistics support are also provided. This program will run through
the fourth quarter of FY 2001.
[Department of Defense, "CTR Update:
Russia," 9/19/96.]
INFORMATION EXCHANGE The United States and Russia, in December 1994,
signed an agreement through
the Gore-Chernomyrdin Commission (GCC) on the exchange of technical information
in the field of nuclear warhead safety and security. Through this agreement
the two countries will discuss safety and security issues involved in dismantling
nuclear warheads and in storing their component parts. The parties will
not exchange sensitive or classified data and all activities will be managed
by a Coordinating Group of scientists and government officials from Russia
and the US.
[Agreement
Between the Government of the United States of America and the Government
of the Russian Federation on the Exchange of Technical information in the
Field of Nuclear Warhead Safety and Security as signed at the December
1994 Meeting of the Gore-Chernomyrdin Commission] {Entered 3/3/98, PBI}
TRANSPORTATION SECURITY/ RAILCAR SECURITY
ENHANCEMENTS This program increases the security of nuclear
warheads and fissile material in transit by enhancing the security of the
railcar itself. The US Sandia National Laboratory, which is the integrating
contractor for the project, provided 115 modification
kits (100 cargo cars and 15 guard cars), including insulation, tamper and intrusion detectors, and fire alarms.
All of these were installed in railcars in Tver, Russia between October 1994 and April
1996, by the Tver Railcar Plant, which had been selected as a contractor.[1,2] Sandia
will also provide equipment for an additional 100 cold-weather railcars and 15
guard cars to replace existing railcars once they reach the end of their 20-year
service life. CTR assistance for railcar procurement and maintenance is
scheduled to be completed by FY 2007. Modifications will also be performed in Tver.
Assistance also includes railcar certification maintenance, which will continue
through FY2005.[3]
This project also provides supercontainers to secure fissile
material in transit from fire, accidents, theft, and small arms. By December
1996, emergency support equipment and training had been supplied to the
Russian Ministry of Defense. Items supplied included radiological situation
evaluation equipment, communications equipment, protective gear, and portable
power supplies. Training for these systems and equipment was scheduled
to be conducted from 9-20 September 1996. [2] Additionally, the Russian
Ministry of Defense contracted with firms in the UK to manufacture 150
supercontainers. These containers were scheduled to be delivered by May
1997 after undergoing tests in June and October of 1996. [2] In November 1999, Russia and the United
States signed an Implementing Arrangement on CTR
funding for nuclear warhead movements. The Arrangement contains provisions for
so-called facilitating agents to perform independent oversight of warhead
movements.[3]
In July 1996, through a meeting of the Gore-Chernomyrdin
Commission (GCC) the United States and Russia signed a joint
statement on nuclear material protection, control, and accounting during
transportation. As of 2002, the warhead
transportation assistance program was to continue through FY2007.[3] Sources: [1] Oleg
Bukharin, "Nuclear Safeguards And Security In The Former Soviet Union,"
Survival,
Winter 1994-1995, p. 63-64. [2] Department of Defense,
"CTR Update: Russia," 9/19/96.
[3] Cooperative Threat Reduction Annual
Report to Congress, Fiscal Year 2002. {Updated 3/3/98 PBI}
{Updated 8/27/2002 MJ}
This project includes automated inventory control
and management systems, a personnel reliability program, storage site security
enhancements, vulnerability assessments, electronic surveillance and control
systems, access control and delay, physical barriers, and guard force equipment
and training. The US firms Hewlett-Packard and Oracle are working on the
bar-code automated inventory control system.
In 1995 the DOD placed increased emphasis on WPC&A
programs. A high-level bilateral group has been coordinating US assistance
efforts to maintain the safety and security of Russia's nuclear weapons.
Computer tracking systems are being developed to improve the accounting
of nuclear weapons and software has been provided to assess storage site
vulnerabilities to unauthorized penetration and theft. US firms involved
in the development of these systems include Hewlett Packard and Sun Microsystems.
[1,3] Also, fences and sensors have been added to provide a preliminary
upgrade of physical protection at nuclear weapons storage facilities.[1]
Additionally,
in February 1998, Bechtel National Incorporated established the Security Assessment and Training Center (SATC)
in Sergiyev Posad. The purpose of this facility is to train personnel and
test and evaluate advanced security protection technologies and procedures.
The center is also the headquarters for the storage site physical security
upgrade project. Under the project, advanced protection equipment is assembled
at the center and then shipped out for use at nuclear weapons storage
sites. To that end, the US Department of Defense (DOD) has issued contracts to convert several buildings at Sergiyev Posad
for the
training and testing facility.[1] In November 1997, the DOD awarded
the Russian firm Eleron a contract to produce the security design for the
facility and awarded the US firm Bechtel $7,187,029 as part of a $7,886,547
contract to outfit and establish the facility. Bechtel began operations
at Sergiyev Posad in February 1998 [1,2] and
the center was formally opened on 1 November 1999.[5] Additionally, a CTR contract was given
to the Russian firm Tenzor to provide security equipment that will be used
at the center.[1] The process of
evaluation of physical security equipment by MOD experts is expected to be
completed in 2002. Afterwards, MOD
and DOD will begin to prepare weapons storage site security designs, using equipment chosen
during the evaluation process.
SATC will then provide
maintenance and logistical support for security equipment at Russian warhead
storage sites.[4]
In 1998, as part of its Personnel Reliability Program (PRP) assistance, DOD
provided MOD with portable drug and alcohol test kits. In 2000 a fixed
laboratory was established at SATC. After the 12th Main Directorate took over
responsibility for the security of Strategic Rocket Forces (SRF) warhead storage
facilities, PRP assistance was extended to cover SRF needs.[4]
CTR assistance also extends to enhancing the effectiveness of Russian guard
forces protecting storage facilities. As part of the Small Arms Training Systems
(SATS) project, the MOD will receive 60 sets of specialized indoor small arms
training aids (complete with weapons modified for use with the aids), a
logistics and maintenance facility at SATC, instructor training, and one year of
support. Equipment deliveries were planned to start in 2001. MOD is also to
receive 12 sets of outdoor live-fire shooting ranges. Delivery of other guard
force equipment, such as body armor, night vision devices, portable radios,
weapon and ammunition storage racks and boxes, is under consideration.[4]
Nuclear weapons storage security assistance includes the Automated Inventory
Control and Management System (AICMS), an integrated inventory system intended
to enhance the MOD's ability to account for and track nuclear warheads slated
for elimination. The MOD will receive sufficient hardware and software for 19
sites, including three central command posts, two central facilities, four
regional facilities, and 10 field facilities. A prototype system was installed
in 1996, and in 1998 an additional 100 computers were supplied. In May 2000, Black
& Veatch was chosen by the DOD to act as the integrating contractor. The
system is supposed to reach operational capability by the end of 2003, and US
logistical support is to continue through FY2005. The program has not been
expanded to compensate for the 12th Main Directorate's assumption of
responsibilities for Air Force, Navy, and SRF storage facilities.[4] Sources: [1] "Secretary Cohen Tours Russian
Defense Facility Nuclear Weapons Security Projects Viewed at Serviev [sic]
Posad," News Release of the Office of Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public
Affairs), no. 066-98, 13 February 1998. [2] "Contracts: Army," News
Release of the Office of Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs),
no. 617-97, 14 November 1997. [3] Frank Wolfe, "Russians, Pentagon
Start Nuclear Safety Center," Defense Daily, 18 February 1998,
p. 5.
[4] Cooperative Threat Reduction Annual
Report to Congress, Fiscal Year 2002.
[5] "Text: Joint U.S.-Russia Nuclear
Security Training Center Opens," Washington File Web Site, http://usinfo.state.gov/products/washfile.htm,
1 November 1999.{Entered 3/3/98, PBI}
{Updated 8/27/2002 MJ}
Foreign Assistance
For more information on weapons storage security, see the Nuclear Warhead
Security Upgrades section of the Controlling Nuclear Warheads & Materials
database, at
