The United Nations monitoring system - applications for North Korea

Abstract

In October 1994 the United States and North Korea agreed on international oversight of the North Korean nuclear program by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). To verify North Korean cooperation, the IAEA has been authorized to use electronic monitoring techniques similar to those employed by the United Nations Special Commission on Iraq (UNSCOM). For a monitoring effort to be effective, it must be equipped with a communications system that can withstand the demanding political and environmental climate of the Korean Peninsula, such as the harsh mountainous terrain as well as the placements of the central monitoring center outside the host nation's borders. Baseline monitoring system requirements and specifications have been formulated based upon the experiences of both sides of the monitoring effort inside Iraq. The wireless point-to-point telephone system employed by UNSCOM has been compared to meteor burst communication and satellite communications to determine the best option for use on the Korean Peninsula. Detailed link power budget calculations have resulted in satellite communications being the best choice for the North Korean mission.