Defense Threat Reduction Agency
Defense Threat Reduction Agency |
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DTRA emblem |
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Lineup | October 1, 1998 |
Country | United States of America |
Armed forces | United States Armed Forces |
Strength | approx. 2000 |
Insinuation | United States Department of Defense |
Fort Belvoir | Virginia |
commander | |
Senior Executive Service
Director |
Vayl Oxford |
US Navy Deputy Director, DTRA | US Navy Rear Adm. Scott Jerabek |
The Defense Threat Reduction Agency ( DTRA , pronounced diitra ) is a military service affiliated with the United States Department of Defense and employs more than 2,000 people. The annual budget is approximately 2.6 billion US dollars .
history
It was founded in 1998 through the merger of various forerunner organizations in the US Department of Defense, including the Defense Nuclear Agency , the Defense Special Weapons Agency and the On-Site Inspection Agency .
After the end of the Cold War , the forerunners of the DTRA played an important role in supporting former Eastern Bloc countries in the orderly destruction of weapons of mass destruction from the Soviet era and the decontamination of the corresponding facilities. For example, missile silos and plutonium factories were dismantled in Ukraine to reduce the possible proliferation of nuclear weapons ; this program was run under the name Cooperative Threat Reduction .
assignment
After 2001, the DTRA had to hand over various, but not all, competencies to the newly established Department of Homeland Security , but is still considered an important authority within the US Department of Defense.
The main objective is to reduce the threat to the US and the rest of the world from weapons of mass destruction (nuclear, biological, radiological and chemical). The DTRA is also responsible for reducing the threat to own troops in conventional wars, v. a. those that would take place in Europe. This mandate is fulfilled through their cooperation in the various weapons control treaties in which the USA is a signatory state : "DTRA's mission is to safeguard America and its interests from weapons of mass destruction (chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and high explosives) by reducing the threat and providing quality tools and services. "
organization
The On-Site Inspection Directorate is responsible for monitoring a growing number of arms control treaties and confidence-building measures (e.g. Conventional Forces in Europe treaty and Open Skies treaty ).
The Threat Reduction Directorate has the task of containing the threat to the world from weapons of mass destruction. This includes the support z. B. by CIS states in the destruction of weapons from Soviet times.
The Technology Development Directorate is responsible for developing technologies that reduce the threat to US soldiers from weapons of mass destruction.
The Chemical and Biological Defense Directorate is responsible for research in the field of C and B weapon protection for both the military and the civilian population.
Partner organizations of other countries
- Germany : Center for Verification Tasks of the Bundeswehr (ZVBw)
- Great Britain : Joint Arms Control Implementation Group (JACIG)
- Belgium : Belgian Verification Agency (BEVA)
- Italy : Centro Interforze Verifica Armamenti (CIVA)
- France : Unité Française de Vérification (UFV)
- Luxembourg : Groupe d'Inspections Vérifications et Observations Armée Luxembourgeoise (GIVO)
- Russia : National Nuclear Risk Reduction Center (NRRC)
- Spain : Unidad De Verificacion Espanola (UVE)
- Belarus : National Agency for Control and Inspections (K for Kontrolja) (NAKI)
- South Korea : Korea Arms Verification Agency (KAVA)