Upgrades to the Russian Navy’s Consolidated Storage Locations and Fuel Transfer Ships

The United States and the Russian Federation entered into a cooperative agreement in 1994 that resulted in a nuclear weapons non-proliferation program within the United States (US) Department of Energy (DOE) currently known as the Russia/Newly Independent States (NIS) Nuclear Material Security Task Force. In 1996, the initial collaboration was expanded to include enhancing material protection, control, and accounting (MPC&A) elements of Russian naval propulsion activities, primarily the safeguarding of highly enriched nuclear fuel assemblies. The Russian Navy interests involve fresh fuel aboard the Russian Navy fuel transfer ships and landbased storage locations supporting both the Northern and Pacific Fleets. This paper describes the process used to assess existing physical protection and material control and accounting measures, and develop proposed MPC&A system enhancements to the protection of fresh nuclear fuel assemblies.