TRANSPARENCY IN NUCLEAR WARHEAD DEMANTLEMENT LIMITED CHAIN OF CUSTODY AND WARHEAD SIGNATURES

The goal of the U.S. Safeguards, Transparency, Irreversibility (SIT) initiative is the development and of a series of Wmspamncy measures that provide contidenct that nuclear warheads are Xtdy being dismantled and that the fissile material being nmmved from these dismantled weapons is not recycled into new production. A limited chain of custody (LCC) would follow a warhead from the time it is declared “excess” until it is actually dismantled and the fissile materials are .stmd. Measurement of warhead signatures is an option in LCC using radiation detection techniques to confirm that a warhead baa been dismantled, without intrusive inspections within the dismantlement facility. This paper will discuss LCC and warhead signamres as well as indicate first results of kiboratory measurements related to warhead signatures.