Preparing for an Arms Control Treaty Inspection

The United States is a signatory to numerous international arms control treaties and agreements, some of which give U.S. facilities little advance notice before the arrival of foreign inspectors. In some cases the U.S. Government has no right to refuse access to inspectors verifying U.S. treaty compliance. The old ways of physical security C installing more fences, alarms and guards C won’t work with arms control treaty inspections. Now, inspectors will walk past our fences, alarms and guards right into some of our most sensitive facilities. Anytime an outsider has access to a technical facility there is a potential for loss of classified, sensitive or proprietary information. Adequate preparations to host an inspection can be accomplished through proper planning. This requires knowledge of: treaty provisions, inspectors’s rights, facility rights, managed access practices, the roles of U.S. escorts, and more. This paper discusses steps a facility manager or security officer can take to prepare the facility for the arrival of foreign inspectors. The paper will cover subjects such as an expanded OPSEC process, support provided by the Defense Treaty Inspection Readiness Program (DTIRP), and security countermeasures such as shrouding and managed access.