Nuclear Risk Reduction Center Gets Upgrade

State Department officials cut the ribbon on the modernized US Nuclear Risk Reduction Center in Washington, D.C. “This new center will enhance our notification and communication structures with the benefit of modern technology, so we can keep evolving to meet the arms control needs of the future,” said State Secretary Hillary Clinton in remarks at the Oct. 24 opening ceremony. First opened in 1988, the United States uses the center to exchange information required by arms control treaties and security-building agreements with more than 55 foreign governments, according to the State Department’s fact sheet. “The work done here is highly technical in nature and it is critical that we keep up with the dynamic technological landscape,” stated Rose Gottemoeller, acting under secretary of state for arms control and international security, in her remarks. Accordingly, the updated facility is “designed to improve operational efficiency and treaty notification monitoring using video collaboration systems, computer processing technology, and better office functionality,” she said. The center continues to cultivate “stable communications with Russia” and is playing a “core role in the implementation of New START,” noted Gottemoeller.