A Day at the Nuclear Security Training and Demonstration Centre

A new IAEA training centre dedicated to helping countries strengthen their nuclear security regimes offers practical hands-on training in areas ranging from the physical protection of nuclear facilities and material to nuclear forensics and computer security. The IAEA’s Nuclear Security Training and Demonstration Centre (NSTDC) — the first international training centre dedicated to nuclear security — builds on the IAEA’s mandate and long-standing expertise, experience and knowledge in this area and has been created in response to countries’ requests for more practical nuclear security training.

While the IAEA has for decades supported countries in strengthening their nuclear security regimes by conducting missions, trainings and exercises, the establishment of the NSTDC further enhances the assistance provided to countries to help them address unique challenges and implement complex projects in nuclear security which require specialized technical infrastructure and equipment. The NSTDC trainings complement existing national and international mechanisms for capacity building in nuclear security and specifically tackle areas not previously addressed by the IAEA.

The facility currently offers 23 training courses and workshops in the areas of physical protection of nuclear or other radioactive material and associated facilities, as well as detection and response to criminal or intentional unauthorized acts involving or directed at nuclear or other radioactive material, associated facilities, or associated activities.

“The NSTDC is a modern, specialized training facility supported by state-of-the-art technical infrastructure. Its training programme is designed to address identified needs and gaps, offering thousands of experts access to hands-on training, advanced technology and equipment,” says Marina Labyntseva, Head of the Education and Training Development Unit in the IAEA’s Division of Nuclear Security.

An example of the Centre’s unique infrastructure is the Demonstration Control Centre (DCC), which is a simulation of the central alarm station (CAS) found at nuclear facilities or facilities that use radioactive material. It is equipped with multiple workstations that can be configured for alarm monitoring, access control, video monitoring, and training in computer security. Demonstration and virtual reality environments simulate the security systems used at nuclear power plants (NPPs), research reactors and border crossings.

“It is a technical training facility that does not commonly exist in countries, providing unique experience in hands-on CAS operations. The DCC provides monitoring and control of all installed security systems so that trainees are able to monitor, assess and communicate alarms from different systems and workstations,” adds Labyntseva.

The NSTDC also has a physical protection demonstration room, allowing trainees to configure, use and test different physical protection components, such as access controls and surveillance cameras. Security is also a key consideration when transporting radioactive sources, whether from a research facility or hospital to a secure storage site or to a port for repatriation to their country of origin. The NSTDC offers hands-on training to assist countries in enhancing nuclear security relating to these activities.

“Since before its opening, it was clear to us that the NSTDC would play a critical role in training nuclear security professionals. It is important to underscore that we are immensely proud of the work we have done in supporting this Centre, which has already attracted a large number of participants in such a short space of time, demonstrating the essential and constructive role it will play in the fields of nuclear security,” says Abdullah Khalid Tawlah, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Saudi Arabia, who co-chairs the Friends of the NSTDC group.

In response to countries’ needs for assistance in the implementation of nuclear security measures at major public events, the NSTDC conducts workshops and simulation exercises to prepare local and national security forces. These drills encompass a wide range of scenarios, from the detection of unauthorized radioactive material to the implementation of response measures.

The NSTDC offers advantages in the area of radiological crime scene management and nuclear forensics training. The specialized equipment available at the Centre offers trainees the opportunity to gain experience of dealing with a radiological crime scene, learn about safety precautions in such a scenario, and understand how evidence of radioactive material is collected, packed and transported to a laboratory and how it can be analysed to support crime investigations.

“The NSTDC and the comprehensive training it offers exemplify the IAEA’s enduring commitment to nuclear security. Its location, nestled between the safeguards laboratories and the original nuclear applications laboratories, serves as an important reminder of the pivotal role nuclear security plays alongside safeguards and nuclear applications in fulfilling the IAEA’s ‘Atoms for Peace and Development’ agenda. In concert, these activities build public trust in, and safe and secure access to, nuclear technology, enabling the IAEA to address the most pressing challenges of our time,” says Ambassador and Resident Representative of the United States of America Laura S. H. Holgate, who co-chairs the Friends of the NSTDC group.

The increasing use of digital technologies globally, including in NPPs, means that extra vigilance is needed to protect against blended attacks and cyber-attacks, underscoring the urgent need for robust computer and information security measures. The NSTDC training courses include the computer and information security modules as a cross-cutting area. Computer security and cyber capabilities have been integrated into the NSTDC courses to address aspects such as sabotage of NPPs, the detection of lost radioactive sources, nuclear security for sources used in hospitals, and nuclear security at major public events and at border controls.

The NSTDC, located at the IAEA’s Seibersdorf laboratories outside Vienna, has been operational since October 2023. By the end of April 2024, in its first six months of operation, it will have hosted 29 events attended by about 700 participants. The NSTDC is supported by donors’ financial and in-kind contributions and welcomes partners interested in supporting its work.