Staff Reporter
NAMIBIA will host the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization’s (CTBTO) next large-scale on-site inspection simulation, known as the Integrated Field Exercise 2026 (IFE26), marking a major milestone for the country’s role in global nuclear non-proliferation and verification efforts. The six-week exercise, scheduled for October and November 2026, will bring hundreds of international experts and large volumes of specialised equipment to Namibia, placing the country at the centre of global preparedness to detect and verify nuclear test explosions.
The CTBTO confirmed in November 2025 that Namibia will host IFE26, the organisation’s third full-scale on-site inspection exercise, following similar operations in Kazakhstan in 2008 and Jordan in 2014. The exercise will simulate the deployment of inspectors to investigate a suspected nuclear test, using methods outlined in the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT). The scenario will be entirely fictional and will not involve any nuclear, chemical or explosive activities.
IFE26 is expected to involve around 250 participants, including trained surrogate inspectors nominated by CTBT signatory states, national technical experts, CTBTO staff and external evaluators. Approximately 150 tonnes of specialised equipment will be transported to Namibia by sea and air to support the field operations, testing logistics, inspection techniques, data handling and coordination in conditions designed to mirror a real-world on-site inspection.
The CTBTO has emphasised that while its International Monitoring System (IMS) can detect potential nuclear test explosions, on-site inspections are the final step required to confirm what has occurred on the ground. Such inspections will become fully operational once the CTBT enters into force. When activated, a State Party will be able to request an inspection, subject to approval by the CTBTO Executive Council, after which an inspection team would be deployed to the suspected area.
Namibia is a long-standing supporter of the CTBT, having signed the treaty in 1996 and ratified it in 2001. The country hosts two certified International Monitoring System facilities near Tsumeb – an auxiliary seismic station (AS67) and an infrasound station (IS35) – which contribute to the global detection of potential nuclear explosions. Namibia also works closely with the CTBTO on regional capacity-building initiatives and technical cooperation.
Preparations for IFE26 build on several years of field activities conducted by the CTBTO between 2022 and 2025 to strengthen readiness for on-site inspections. The final preparatory exercise was held in Hungary in 2024, where operational procedures and coordination mechanisms were tested ahead of the full-scale exercise to be hosted by Namibia.
The Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty bans all nuclear explosions worldwide. While adherence to the treaty is near-universal, with 187 signatory states and 178 ratifications, the treaty has not yet entered into force, as nine of the 44 required Annex 2 states have yet to ratify it. Even so, the CTBTO’s monitoring network is already operational, with 307 of the planned 337 monitoring facilities worldwide certified and transmitting data.
Beyond nuclear test detection, data from the CTBTO’s monitoring system has also been used for disaster mitigation and scientific research, including earthquake monitoring, tsunami warnings, climate studies and environmental research.
Hosting IFE26 places Namibia at the forefront of global efforts to strengthen verification mechanisms against nuclear testing and reinforces the country’s standing as a key African contributor to international peace, security and non-proliferation initiatives.
Picture for illustrative purposes only. Photo: CTBTO
