STCU News and Announcements
The first South East and Eastern Europe (SEEE) Regional Radiological Detection Exercise LIONSHIELD was hosted in Tbilisi between 5 and 8 June 2018
321/49405 Jun 2018 - 08 Jun 2018
The exercise was implemented within the framework of the European Union (EU) Chemical Biological Radiological Nuclear (CBRN) Risk Mitigation Centre of Excellence (CoE) Initiative, in partnership with the State Security Service of Georgia (SSSG), the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI), and the Science and Technology Center in Ukraine (STCU).
The four-day “hands-on” field exercise provided an opportunity for countries of the South East and Eastern Europe (SEEE) CoE Region to test their capabilities on detection and initial response to radiological and nuclear trafficking incidents with an emphasis on fostering regional cooperation between participating sectors and States. The exercise identified best practices on nuclear detection and initial response, as well as on coordination required to investigate an incident involving radioactive and nuclear materials.
LIONSHIELD consisted of three field simulations based on three different scenarios. The scenarios focused on incidents involving trafficking of radioactive/nuclear materials in different settings (e.g. green border, airport terminal, etc.). Each scenario was played by units composed of representatives from two to three countries in the region.
Representatives from Albania, Armenia, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Georgia, Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia, and Ukraine participated in the event while the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) attended the exercise as evaluators. The Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority (NRPA), the Defense Threat Reduction Office (DTRO) and Department of Energy Office of the U.S. Embassy in Georgia also attended as observers.
The exercise was promoted by the EU CBRN CoE Initiative Regional Secretariat in Tbilisi, which supports nuclear security capacity building at the national and regional levels. The overall objectives of the Regional Secretariat based in Tbilisi, Georgia are to develop comprehensive cross-border cooperation between countries, to establish inter-agency structures for coordination, as well as to support the development and implementation of CBRN risk mitigation strategies and policies throughout the region.