ABSTRACT
A major and dangerous aspect of technology transfer is the potential transfer of nuclear technology from the former Soviet Union to non-nuclear weapons states. This enhances the potential for nuclear proliferation. Because of this threat, a project to deter nuclear smuggling out of the Russian Federation was funded in fiscal years 1997 and 1998 under the auspices of the US Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Arms Control and Nonproliferation. The shortcomings of existing institutions and technology in dealing with the threat of nuclear smuggling have been taken into account. Inadequacies of existing technology to meet detection goals were identified at an early stage of the Second Line of Defense (SLD) project. To compensate for the inadequacies identified in existing materials diagnostic technology, several technical directions have been considered. The overall goal of the SLD project is to detect materials of national security concern – in particular nuclear materials, materials used in nuclear production, and weapons of mass destruction.
