Procuring nuclear propulsion, while preventing proliferation

Under the AUKUS agreement, Australia will be the first non-nuclear state to acquire nuclear propulsion technology. What impact could this have on the nation’s nuclear security standards? And how could it affect Australia’s standing as a non-proliferation player?


In this episode of the National Security Podcast, Scott Roecker and Jessica Bufford from the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) join Professor Rory Medcalf in conversation.


They discuss global nuclear non-proliferation and arms control efforts, the increasingly challenging strategic environment this work is carried out within, and the current outlook for nuclear disarmament.


Scott Roecker is the Vice President for NTI’s Nuclear Materials Security Program. He previously served as the Director of the Office of Nuclear Material Removal at the National Nuclear Security Administration in the United States. 


Jessica Bufford is a Program Officer for NTI’s Nuclear Material Security team. She previously worked in the Division of Nuclear Security at the International Atomic Energy Agency.


Professor Rory Medcalf AM is Head of the ANU National Security College. His professional experience spans more than three decades across diplomacy, intelligence analysis, think tanks, journalism and academia. 


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