Nuclear simulation exercise takes shape

SWAKOPMUND – Inspection teams taking part in the Integrated Field Exercise 2026 (IFE26) are preparing to investigate simulated suspicious sites across an area of about 900 square kilometres in the Erongo region. 

The N$150 million exercise, organised by the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organisation (CTBTO), will simulate an on-site inspection following a suspected nuclear explosion. It involves no actual nuclear test or hazardous material.  Exercise manager Elran Ben-Or said organisers had placed simulated site modifications, including a container, in the inspection area for teams to locate. 

“This is a free play for the participants. So we don’t tell them where to go,” he said during a media briefing in Swakopmund on Wednesday. 

Ben-Or said the exercise tests inspection equipment, procedures and international coordination, allowing organisers to identify gaps and improve the readiness of inspectors.  The exercise is the third integrated field exercise of its kind and the first to be held in Africa, following previous exercises in Kazakhstan in 2008 and Jordan in 2014. 

Co-chair Magdalena Shipiki said Namibia expressed interest in hosting the exercise in 2022, with Cabinet approval granted in 2025 following consultations. 

She said the exercise simulates a situation in which countries suspect another state of conducting a nuclear explosion and request an investigation.  Since states are sovereign, inspectors cannot simply enter the suspected country without permission. The scenario therefore also tests negotiations between the parties involved.s 

Participants play different roles, including inspectors, the suspected states and countries requesting the investigation. 

“The suspected country might be playing tough. They might be blocking the inspectors,” Shipiki said. 

She said Namibia’s hosting of the exercise reflected its commitment to international peace and security, nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation.  About 47 women are participating in different capacities, representing approximately 25% of the participants, while Namibians are involved in the management team and inspection groups. 

Country co-chair Bufelo Lushetile said the CTBTO’s international monitoring system has more than 330 stations worldwide that operate around the clock to detect signs of nuclear explosions. The stations also record earthquakes. 

Namibia hosts two monitoring stations near Tsumeb: a seismic station that records earthquakes and an infrasound station that measures changes in atmospheric pressure. Their data is transmitted to the organisation’s International Data Centre in Vienna, Austria, for analysis. 

Lushetile said monitoring stations could indicate the approximate location of an event, but the margin of error could range from 50 to 80 kilometres. Inspectors use aerial observations before deploying teams on the ground to investigate suspicious areas. 

The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, which prohibits nuclear explosions, has not yet entered into force. Lushetile compared the exercise to a fire drill that tests personnel and equipment in preparation for a real event. 

Organisers said the exercise would not harm the environment, as teams are using existing tracks and sites in exploration areas. Shipiki said the environment ministry was represented on the inter-ministerial committee involved in approving the exercise. The CTBTO is funding the N$150 million exercise through contributions from its member states, including Namibia. This money in return will be spent on Namibian companies that were contracted to provide accommodation, catering and transport services. 

-edeklerk@nepc.com.na 

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