High-level Visit Offers Behind The Scenes Look At CTBTO Build-Up Exercise In Hungary

Gyöngyös, Hungary, 03 July 2024 - The Preparatory Commission of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) and Hungary held a two-day joint high-level visit for ambassadors, government representatives and members of the press for the 2024 On-Site Inspection Build-up Exercise (BUE24), taking place 80 km outside Budapest.

The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) bans nuclear tests by anyone, anywhere. To safeguard the world from the dangers of nuclear tests and the weapons they create, CTBTO has established a global verification system with over 300 monitoring facilities in 89 countries. Once the Treaty enters into force, On-Site Inspection (OSI) is an important verification instrument and the final component of the CTBT that States Parties can use to gather facts on the ground in the event of a suspected nuclear test.

CTBTO’s On-Site Inspection Division undertakes exercises to continuously build-up the OSI element of the verification regime and assess its effectiveness to ensure its readiness upon entry into force. The 2024 Build-Up exercise taking place in Hungary is a three-week simulation of real-life scenarios and activities to test and validate new and updated OSI capabilities in an integrated manner in a tactical exercise environment.

Dr Robert Floyd, CTBTO Executive Secretary, has previously noted the critical role of on-site inspection in maintaining the ban on nuclear testing: “On-site inspection is an essential element in the verification system because definitive evidence can only be gained on the ground, and it gives confidence to all States that no one can conduct a test in secret.”

The BUE24 was designed to test, validate, and demonstrate OSI capabilities and techniques. Nearly 100 tonnes of equipment were deployed to the exercise location and more than 130 participants from 42 countries travelled to the site, each tasked with playing a unique role within the exercise scenario. The participants include 40 surrogate inspectors who make up the Inspection Team.

During the high-level visit, attendees were able to tour the Base of Operations (BoO), observe inspectors in the field conducting activities using OSI techniques and procedures prescribed by the Treaty, and receive briefings from officials on the work being done.

Annika Markovic, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Sweden to the United Nations and Other International Organizations in Vienna, said that the high-level visit was an opportunity to see surrogate inspectors and other experts in action and illustrated the importance of preparation for the Treaty’s entry into force: “The simulation is important because we need to see what lessons we can draw for when we need to do this in the real world. When there is an actual on-site inspection, we need to understand how the process should be running to be the most effective one.”

To better mimic the challenges of a real OSI, the exercise location in Hungary was selected for its varied topography and mountainous environment posing challenges to the Inspection Team and the range of techniques they will be required to use.

Hungary, a long-standing supporter of the CTBT, hosted a previous Build-Up exercise in 2013 in Veszprém and has contributed to the work of the CTBTO through experts, equipment and field tests.

For this exercise the CTBTO has set up a BoO over an available area of 6000m2 from which it will coordinate inspection activities to be conducted over 382km2 inspection area in a moderately mountainous environment in preparation for the 2025 Integrated Field Exercise (IFE25).

Andrea Beatrix Kádár, President of the Hungarian Atomic Energy Authority, said that Hungary was delighted to offer its expertise and support for such an important exercise: “The CTBTO’s capabilities make it a unique and essential element of our global security regime. Training and exercises are key to ensuring that all elements of the on-site inspection are functioning well together. As a strong advocate of the Treaty, Hungary will continue to support the CTBTO and work towards its universalization.”

BUE24 is the fifth build-up exercise CTBTO has conducted, with the last taking place in Austria in 2019. The 2024 BUE uses complex scenarios to provide the inspection team opportunities to validate techniques, procedures, concepts and related tools.

"These exercises are important for us to ensure that OSI is fully operational once the CTBT enters into force, and we are ready to conduct an inspection should one be requested,” said Oleg Rozhkov, Director of CTBTO’s On-Site Inspection Division.

The integrated and cross-cutting nature of BUE24 is a crucial stepping stone to ensure CTBT’s and surrogate inspectors’ preparedness for the challenges and requirements of a large-scale Integrated Field Exercise in 2025 (IFE25).

This continuous preparation is vital for maintaining the global norm against nuclear testing and ensuring the effectiveness of the CTBT’s verification regime.

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