Foreward - Safeguarding the Future

Safeguards work at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) has long stood at the intersection of science, technology, and global security policy. Since 1966, when physicist Robert Keepin founded the nation’s first safeguards R&D program at LANL, the Laboratory has played a leading role in developing tools and techniques that underpin international nuclear nonproliferation. Anchored by the Safeguards Science and Technology group (NEN-1) in the Nuclear Engineering and Nonproliferation Division, the Lab has remained at the forefront of safeguards, delivering world-class solutions to help the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) verify compliance with the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, ensuring that nuclear materials are used for peaceful purposes.

A cornerstone of this mission is the use of neutron- and gamma ray-based nondestructive assay (NDA) methods, which allow for the quick characterization of nuclear materials without altering them—a capability critical for inspections in high-radiation environments or through sealed containers. These techniques have been refined and deployed worldwide, serving as the foundation for automated, remote monitoring systems that improve both safety and account­ability. LANL’s approach is deeply rooted in field-based innovation, observing real-world problems in nuclear facilities and responding with tailored instrumentation and integrated solutions. Increasingly, these tools are designed for 24/7, unattended operations, a necessity as the number of nuclear facilities grows and inspector resources remain limited.

This issue of the magazine celebrates that enduring legacy by highlighting past, present, and future advances in safeguards. We begin with a retrospective on the 50th Anniversary of the Safeguards and Security Technology Training Program (SSTTP), a globally respected LANL program that has trained over 7,000 profes­sionals—including nearly every IAEA inspector since 1980. The SSTTP provides hands-on training with real nuclear materials and cutting-edge NDA instruments, helping set international benchmarks for safeguards competency (p4).

A companion article offers a primer on NDA instrumentation, summarizing key techniques such as gamma spectroscopy, calorimetry, and neutron counting. These are the tools at the heart of modern safeguards, many of which originated or were perfected at LANL.

Looking ahead, we explore how international safeguards science is being adapted to the pit production mission. In Atomic Management: The DYMAC 2.0 Initiative, you'll read about LANL’s ambitious effort to bring real-time, in-line material monitoring to the Lab’s plutonium facility (PF-4), overcoming previous challenges with high background radiation through advanced data acquisition systems and distributed neutron sensors (p24). Complementing this is an article on RFID tracking, which shows how LANL is replacing manual nuclear inventory methods with smart, passive systems for more efficient and agile operations.

This issue also showcases breakthroughs in safeguards instrumentation, such as SOFIA, a superconducting gamma-ray spectrometer adapted from astrophysics to deliver ultra-high-resolution isotopic analysis in nuclear facilities, and ND-Alpha, the world’s first nondestructive alpha spectrometer enabling point-and-shoot isotope identification in the field.

The issue rounds out with a thoughtful reflection on the historical Baruch Plan, connecting the roots of modern nuclear governance with today’s pressing need for international oversight—particularly as emerging technologies like AI begin to impact the safeguards landscape.

Together, these articles not only celebrate LANL’s historical leadership but also underscore its commitment to anticipating and shaping the future of global nuclear security. Next year, we will celebrate the 60th anniversary of safeguards at LANL, marking six decades of innovation and impact. The Laboratory’s safeguards work continues to evolve, grounded in scientific excellence and driven by the urgent mission to keep the world safe.

— Alison Pugmire Group Leader, Safeguards Science and Technology

Download a PDF version of the print issue or browse the articles below

50th Anniversary of the Safeguards and Security Technology Training Program

Atomic Management: The DYMAC 2.0 Initiative

Tracking Nuclear Materials Using RFID

NDA Instruments of the Safeguards Training Program

From Starlight to Safeguards: The SOFIA Gamma-Ray Spectrometer

ND-Alpha: The World’s First Nondestructive Alpha Spectrometer

The Race to Nonproliferation: The Baruch Plan