Plutonium and highly enriched uranium, 1995

Plutonium and highly enriched uranium are the basic materials used in nuclear weapons. Plutonium also plays an important role in the generation of nuclear electricity. Knowing how much plutonium and HEU exists, where, in which form and under which controls is vital for international security and nuclear commerce. This book is a thorough revision and extension of the World Inventory of Plutonium and Highly Enriched Uranium 1992. It provides a rigorous and comprehensive assessment of the amounts of plutonium and HEU in military and civilian programmes, in nuclear and non-nuclear weapon states, and in countries seeking to acquire nuclear weapons. The capabilities that exist for producing these materials throughout the world are examined in depth. The book concludes with a thorough examination of policies on the control and disposition of fissile materials and makes a number of important new proposals. Containing much new information and analysis, this book is indispensable to all those concerned with the contemporary issues in international nuclear relations: arms reductions in the nuclear weapons states, nuclear proliferation, nuclear smuggling, the roles of plutonium and enriched uranium in the nuclear fuel cycle, and the disposition of surplus weapon material.