Designing A Dynamic, Versatile Safeguards Surveillance Fleet With Modern Technology Advancements

The International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) Next Generation Surveillance System (NGSS) maintains continuity of knowledge over nuclear material across a wide range of facilities and operational environments, replacing the previous DCM-14-based system. Nearly 10 years after its initial development, rollout of the NGSS is approaching completion. Yet ensuring the fleet is fit with modern capabilities at the time of roll out is a challenge, especially on systems that take years to design, deploy, and train on. Maintaining and upgrading outdated technology in this fleet is also a significant challenge. Recognizing the rapid advancements in commercial surveillance, consideration of a future generation of safeguards surveillance technology has already begun, working to improve and modernize capabilities. In 2020, a survey of candidate commercial imaging technologies, as well as data security and image processing methods, was performed by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The team investigated topics such as: infrared camera systems, time of flight cameras, multicamera integration and sensor fusion, self-healing encryption, in-field firmware updates, and modular platforms in an effort to identify both near-term and long-term advancements for safeguards surveillance. This paper will discuss the potential for these identified technologies to create a fleet of dynamic, versatile surveillance technology, with remote, automated capabilities, as well as techniques to reduce inspector burden and enable in-field maintenance, while maintaining backwards and forward compatibility.