For Nuclear-Weapon States, the central ongoing material requirement for the maintenance and modernization of nuclear weapons is tritium. Part of your work with DOE involved the transition of U.S. tritium from defense production to leasing irradiation services in commercial reactors. While the U.S. committed to using unobligated fuel to produce tritium to side-step some nonproliferation concerns, they also transitioned to a more transparent and accountable production method that has nonproliferation/disarmament benefits.
Would NWS arms control commitments see a net benefit from a uniform shift from secretive, defense facilities to public, commercial reactors for tritium production?
For Nuclear-Weapon States, the central ongoing material requirement for the maintenance and modernization of nuclear weapons is tritium. Part of your work with DOE involved the transition of U.S. tritium from defense production to leasing irradiation services in commercial reactors. While the U.S. committed to using unobligated fuel to produce tritium to side-step some nonproliferation concerns, they also transitioned to a more transparent and accountable production method that has nonproliferation/disarmament benefits.
Would NWS arms control commitments see a net benefit from a uniform shift from secretive, defense facilities to public, commercial reactors for tritium production?