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Iran Was Developing Shock Wave Generator for Nuclear Weapons Program

(Institute for Science and International Security) David Albright and Olli Heinonen - The Iranian Nuclear Archive reveals that under its early 2000s nuclear weapons program, Iran was developing and manufacturing a key nuclear weapon subcomponent called a "shock wave generator." A full-scale, hemispherical test of the shock wave generator, using sophisticated diagnostic equipment, was conducted. The archive indicates that Iran had completed almost 2/3 of the tasks associated with the Shock Generator Project by 2002. Foreign assistance from at least one former member of the Soviet nuclear weapons program was key to Iran's development of this technology. Preserving these complex nuclear weapons capabilities was a priority for Iran in its 2003 reorientation plan. After 2003, the Shock Generator Project activities were given a cover purpose of performing non-nuclear military and non-military explosive tests, and some activities were shifted to universities, such as Malek Ashtar University of Technology, and research institutes. Iran prioritized maintaining the project's workforce. Iran's Organization of Defensive Innovation and Research (SPND) appears to have inherited the personnel and capabilities of the project.
2019-05-10 00:00:00
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