Nuclear security

Fighting Weapons of Mass Disruption

It’s no secret that violent extremist groups around the world are seeking to buy, steal, or build destructive weapons to use in a relentless campaign of terror.  One potential weapon is a radiological dirty bomb, which is also known as a “weapon of mass disruption.”

Unlike an improvised nuclear device (IND), a dirty bomb made with a radiological source would not cause catastrophic levels of death and injury. But depending on its chemistry, form, and location, it could cause billions of dollars in damage due to the costs of evacuation, relocation, and cleanup – and it would clearly have severe economic and psychological consequences.

While a dirty bomb would be less catastrophic than an IND, there is a higher probability of it occurring, because radiological materials are more widely available and less secured.