Laura Rockwood on Verification of Naval Nuclear Propulsion

VCDNP Executive Director Laura Rockwood has written a new paper in the Institute for the International Science and Technology Policy (IISTP) Occasional Papers Series entitled "Naval Nuclear Propulsion: Seeking Verification Processes." The paper explores practical aspects of organizing an international project on safeguards for naval nuclear reactor fuel, especially in the legal context. Ms. Rockwood draws on historical examples in verification, the role of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and past commitments of individual IAEA Member States. The paper also explores the various pitfalls in verification of naval reactor fuel that the international community should bear in mind today such that technological capabilities are sufficient to keep up with political will when it is present.

"When dealing with novel and complex technical issues, there is merit to leaving their resolution to the technical experts. However, regardless of the option chosen, the necessary groundwork, whether technical, political, or diplomatic, must be laid in advance; the ill-timed launching of even well-intentioned projects can poison the atmosphere and make future efforts even more challenging. Ultimately, the success or failure of any such a project will depend on the unity of political will based on common interests (and in some instances, shared pain). It will also depend on trust: perceptions of preconceived outcomes driven by ulterior motives could lead to the defeat of such efforts even before they get beyond the conceptual stage."

This publication of the IISTP Occasional Papers Series also includes a paper by George Moore, Senior Fellow at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, entitled "The 6 Percent Solution: LEU Fueled Reactors and Life-of-Ship Reactors for the US and UK Navies."

Read the entire publication here.