International nuclear experts have gathered in Erongo Region to demonstrate how a suspected nuclear explosion would be investigated, as the country hosts the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organisation's Integrated Field Exercise 2026.
Speaking during a high-level media day near the Valencia mining area, CTBTO Executive Secretary Robert Floyd praised Namibia for its cooperation in bringing the large-scale exercise to Africa for the first time.
"We refer to it as an on-site inspection. The Namibian government has been an exceptional partner in facilitating this inaugural event for Africa - the test and exercise of this scale being conducted on the continent. We are assessing procedures, personnel, skills, and technology to determine whether a nuclear explosion has taken place. It is important to emphasise that this is purely an exercise; there has been no explosion in Namibia."
Namibia's Defence Force Chief, Air Marshal Martin Pinehas, said the country's decision to sign the treaty reflected a serious commitment to international nuclear non-proliferation.
"This puts Namibia at a different level to host something of this magnitude in our country, so we should be proud to host something like this."
Attorney General Festus Mbandeka said the exercise offers Namibia and participating countries an important opportunity to build technical capacity and learn how to respond if a nuclear-related incident occurs.
Although the operation is a simulation, Mbandeka noted that the knowledge gained could prove valuable in a real-world situation.
"We believe that everything has been picked. To be the first on the continent says a lot about us in terms of systems and transparency. Because as a member, we have subscribed to the treaty, and it is important for us to show the commitment that we demonstrate to the world."
Scenario Control Officer Samuel Nengola explained why Namibia was the perfect country to carry out the exercise, which focuses on on-site inspections - one of three components of the CTBTO's verification system, which also includes the International Monitoring System and the International Data Centre.
Namibia signed the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty in 1996 and ratified it in 2001.
It also hosts two certified monitoring facilities near Tsumeb, strengthening its contribution to the international system for detecting possible nuclear explosions.
The Integrated Field Exercise 2026 follows a similar exercise hosted by Jordan in 2014 and is described by the CTBTO as its most ambitious undertaking of this kind, bringing together international expertise to strengthen the global nuclear test-ban verification regime.