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The Treaty on Open Skies is a precedent-setting agreement that allows signatory states to fly aircraft over each other`s territory with sensor systems. The purpose of the Treaty is to improve confidence and security with respect to military activities of the signatories. This paper reviews the sensor technology that is currently allowed by the Treaty on Open Skies and potential future sensor technology. The Treaty on Open Skies does have provisions to allow for the improvement of the technology of the current sensor systems and for the proposal of new sensors after a period of time. This can occur only after the Treaty has been ratified and has entered into force. If this regime was to be used for other than Treaty on Open Skies applications some modifications to the allowed sensor technology should be examined. This paper presents some ideas on potential improvements to existing allowed sensor technology as well as some suggested new advanced sensor systems that would be useful for future potential monitoring of safeguard`s related activities. This paper addresses advanced imaging sensors and non-imaging sensors for potential use in aerial remote sensing roles that involve international data sharing.

The Treaty on Open Skies has very specific requirements as a confidence building measure, but it could also serve as a component of an SNM Cutoff monitoring strategy. The participants to the Treaty are European countries, the United States, and Canada and would have to be extended to include other than the present signatories if it were to be used in a worldwide SNM verification Cutoff role. The major nuclear powers with the exception of China are signatories to the Treaty and the inclusion of other member states will only be considered once entry into force has started. The technology and data sharing provisions of the Treaty have defined the airborne sensor performance specifications. Therefore, the Treaty allowed sensor technology may not be adequate for the purposes of monitoring an SNM Cutoff regime. New sensors and sensor performance levels to adequately monitor an SNM Cutoff regime may be proposed only after entry into force of the Treaty on Open Skies. The utility of an aerial inspection component to the monitoring strategy for an SNM Cutoff regime would best be evaluated with field trials using realistic scenarios. This would allow the testing of synergism among other components of an overall monitoring strategy and would lend insight into the appropriate sensor technology to be recommended for future implementation.

This paper discusses the imaging radar technology requirements for the Open Skies regime including the unresolved issues to be discussed at future Open Skies Consultative Commission (OSCC) meetings. Compliance with international rules on shared technology is addressed and some of the practical considerations for operational deployment of the radar imaging equipment in an Open Skies aircraft are presented. The Open Skies Treaty requirements and validation methodologies for imaging radars that have been agreed on and those that will require future OSCC review are discussed.