Published: 6 March, 2008, 05:51
Edited: 6 March, 2008, 05:51
Moving nuclear material is a dangerous job. Apart from a number of technical requirements, anti-terrorist measures also need to be put in place. Russia and the U.S. have developed a joint transportation system which can monitor every movement of such sens
The system allows the movements of the cargo vehicle to be monitored in real time. Information about any critical situation is transmitted immediately, which facilitates a quick and effective response in the event of emergency.
Moving any valuable or dangerous cargo from one place to another has always been viewed as the weakest link in the security chain. But now experts say this unit is the ultimate means of transport for nuclear materials.
According to them, it’s so well equipped that any terror attack is simply destined to fail. Thus, if the terrorists manage to hi-jack the vehicle, a special mechanism will disable the breaks and the fuel will stop feeding the engine. Once stopped, the vehicle won’t be able to move.
Remotely shutting down the systems of the cargo vehicle could be done from thousands of kilometres away. Security crews in one of the cars could also push the stop button.
Even if the impossible happens and the terrorists actually did get inside the truck, another surprise awaits them. Simply unloading the valuable cargo will take them hours. This will be enough for the authorities to take necessary actions to stop them.
In the 1990s the collapse of the USSR and the resulting severe economic crisis created a breach in nuclear security. Even Al-Qaeda reportedly tried to get its hands on the former empire's deadly toys.
The problem was resolved with major U.S. assistance and later that help grew into an equitable partnership.
Currently both countries are looking to upgrade the new nuclear materials transportation system. With a price tag of around $ US 1.5 million each, it seems noone is prepared to skimp when it comes to safety and security.