The one-week regional Course, “Proliferation Pathways of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)”, was organized by RACVIAC – Centre for Security Cooperation with the support of DTRA from 03 to 07 June 2024.
The primary purpose of this course was to expand awareness of both state and non-state actor proliferation to examine key differences in scale and intent. The Course provided ample opportunity to examine the importance of both information sharing and regional cooperation in crafting effective counterproliferation strategies and operations. Practical exercises allowed participants to undertake a risk assessment, conduct a Red Cell planning operation, conduct rudimentary network link analysis, and, finally, examine the nexus of non-state actor proliferation and terrorism. This course sets the baseline for further in-depth counterproliferation training topics.
The event was closed by H.E. Ambassador Constantin-Mihail Grigorie, Director of RACVIAC and Maj Jordan M. Seymour, Action Officer, EUCOM Operations Division (OB-BPE), Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA).
In his Closing speech Maj Jordan thanked everyone who attended the Course. He, furthermore, expressed hope that the participants had deepened their knowledge on the proliferation of WMD and wished them a safe trip back to their homes.
Addressing the audience Ambassador Constantin-Mihail Grigorie extended special thanks to RACVIAC partner DTRA, which has been supporting the Centre throughout the years. He also thanked all the instructors whose expertise made this event attractive and extraordinary in a scientific and practical sense. „Your ability to transfer your comprehensive knowledge to practical actions is truly respectworthy“, he said.
Furthermore, Ambassador Grigorie underscored that throughout an intensive program the participants embarked on a journey of exploration and understanding, dissecting the intricate web of WMD proliferation and the myriad challenges it poses to our collective security.
Director of RACVIAC also spotlighted that the active engagement and insightful contributions of all the participants brought additional value to the Course and that is exactly what RACVIAC aims for and stands for. Having had all of them attend this course proves that RACVIAC mission and purpose are up to date and that RACVIAC actively assists its Members in addressing the various challenges they face, he added.
The Course ended with the awarding of certificates to more than 25 participants from the region who examined the mechanics of modern proliferation, how proliferation networks succeed, and the spectrum of activities that require constant surveillance and observation if proliferation is to be detected, disrupted or dismantled.
