Publications

Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) has hosted the International Training Course on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Materials and Nuclear Facilities since 1978. This course is the flagship training course of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). On behalf of the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), SNL manages, develops, and coordinates all course materials, and works closely with the IAEA to arrange all logistical details for the course. ITC-28 incorporated several new approaches based on feedback and experience with ITC-27 and earlier versions of the course. For ITC-28, an addition to the Integrated Security Facility (ISF) at SNL was a mock reactor hall with a mock reactor pool. Other facilities at the ISF include a mock processing facility, material receiving area, and central alarm station. The physical protection system at the ISF—an area that formerly housed Category I nuclear material—provides many opportunities for hands-on, real world training in the design and evaluation of a physical protection system (PPS). This document provides a brief description of ITC-28, including a summary of lessons learned and key recommendations for future development efforts.

The course content consisted of 32 modules that included topics necessary to understand how to conduct PPS design and evaluation. An important aspect of ITC-27's training methodology was to ensure that each topic was presented via lecture (hear), and also included demonstrations (see) and hands-on field activities (do), whenever applicable. A final exercise provided participants with the opportunity to apply the design and evaluation knowledge gained during the course. Guest lecturers—both domestic and international—supplemented information from related agency perspectives. A new topic—Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS)—offered participants a high-level awareness of the types, uses, and capabilities of these systems and how they might be used in both an adversarial and protective capacity.