Addressing the Confidence Gap in the Security of Military Nuclear Materials

Abstract

Abstract All weapons-useable nuclear materials and facilities with such materials must be protected from theft or attack. For decades, countries have worked together through bilateral government channels, multilateral groups, and international organizations to strengthen nuclear security around the world. Over time, countries have made significant progress on reducing the likelihood of nuclear material theft or sabotage. Despite significant accomplishments, these efforts have primarily focused on a small subsection of the global supply of nuclear materials. More than 80 per cent of the world’s stocks of nuclear weapons-useable materials exist within nuclear weapons (or nuclear submarines) and the programmes that develop, build, and dispose of them. Nuclear security cooperation has largely focused on nuclear materials in civilian use; for political, cultural, and security reasons, very little is known about military nuclear security in countries that possess military nuclear materials. These materials are largely set apart from international laws and institutions and beyond the reach of existing mechanisms for international nuclear security cooperation. Moreover, current geopolitical trends are making cooperation between countries with military nuclear materials more difficult. Yet, strengthening international confidence in security for military materials is a critical element of the nuclear non-proliferation regime. The chapter describes what military materials are, discusses the legal mechanisms and international institutions that support strengthening security for military materials around the world, identifies why confidence in military materials security is important, and provides recommendations for the further strengthening of security for military materials and increasing broader confidence in that security.