"The U.S. NRRC will provide a permanent, rapid, reliable, and private means by which the United States and the Soviet Union may transmit notifications agreed between two Parties, including those required under certain existing and possible future arms control and confidence-building agreements."

National Security Decision Directive
(NSDD-301), February 22, 1988

The Arms Control, Verification, and Compliance Bureau's Nuclear Risk Reduction Center (AVC/NRRC) supports implementation of arms control and security and confidence building agreements with foreign governments by operating dedicated, government-to-government communications systems. Additionally, the NRRC supports the interagency policy process during agreement negotiation so that the communications requirements of the resultant agreement can be implemented by the NRRC.

The NRRC operates around-the-clock government-to-government communications links with the Russian Federation, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Ukraine to provide expeditious handling of time-sensitive and routine Intermediate Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty (deleted: Strategic Air (sic) Reduction Treaty) notifications. It provides similar communications support for bilateral agreements with Russia, including the nuclear testing treaties, and other security-related agreements, as well as notifications which are part of provisional implementation of the New START Treaty.

In addition, the NRRC operates a second 24-hour communications network to provide expeditious handling of time-sensitive and routine notifications under the Vienna Document on Confidence- and Security-Building Measures (CSBMs) and the Open Skies (OS) Treaty, as well as for the Treaty on Conventional Forces in Europe (CFE). The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Communications Network currently supports 51 countries (out of 56 members) and 3 OSCE institutes.

The NRRC maintains a direct link with the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in The Hague to process notifications in connection with the implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC). To perform its mission, the NRRC also operates the communications nodes for two interagency classified wide area networks which support specific arms control and security agreements for the U.S. The NRRC also is the USG’s Point of Contact for the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for the implementation of the Additional Protocol between the United States and the IAEA, as well as the transmission point for notifications to the Immediate Central Contact (ICC) for the implementation of the Hague Code of Conduct Against of Ballistic Missile Proliferation (HCOC).

NRRC watch officers translate incoming notifications from Russian, French, German, Spanish, or Italian; prepare DOS dissemination cables for all incoming and outgoing messages; and convey operational alerts via telephone or facsimile.

The NRRC coordinates with interagency groups responsible for arms control agreements requiring communications support from the NRRC to ensure efficient and successful message handling, including data automation, notification format development, and provision of technical expertise as it relates to operations.

The NRRC advises Department policy and operational offices on issues affecting the NRRC communications and notification processing functions, including development of standard operating procedures and training programs for watch officers. It supports and participates in delegations to foreign governments to discuss issues related to the communication of arms control and security-related information handled by the NRRC.