DNDO Cargo/Rail Path Forward
Namdoo Moon, Ph.D
Program Manager, Domestic Nuclear Detection Office
Transformational & Applied Research Directorate
Roughly 5000 loaded rail cars cross the border into the United States every day. This active border crossing, and the high density and complex cargos that are common, make rapid detection and clearing of cargos particularly challenging. The Domestic Nuclear Detection Office Transformational and Applied Research (TAR) Directorate seeks to address this challenge through expanding active interrogation techniques to this operational space. Prior research into the detection of shielded special nuclear material (SNM) has enabled an analysis of what is needed to pursue improved detection along this pathway. This presentation will discuss the SNM detection technology challenges endemic to rail and cargo, the goals for rail and cargo detection going forward, and what an ideal system may look like. This ideal system may require further development of technological components.