The Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) is an office of the United States Department of Defense whose primary function is to analyze potential threats to the United States of America, both homeland and abroad, and provide contingency plans for all such scenarios.
After the end of the Cold War, the DTRA has played a primary role in assisting former Soviet bloc countries in the destruction of Soviet era nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons sites (such as missile silos and plutonium production facilities) in an attempt to stem off potential weapons proliferation in the post-Soviet era as part of the Cooperative Threat Reduction program.
In the 21st century, the Defense Threat Reduction Agency has lost some, but not most, of its authority to the Department of Homeland Security. The DTRA is still considered an important office of the Department of Defense. The primary mission of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) is to reduce the threat to the United States and the world from weapons of mass destruction (that is, nuclear, biological, radiological, and chemical weapons). DTRA is also responsible for reducing the threat of conventional war, especially in Europe, by participating in various arms control treaties to which the United States is a party, such as the Conventional Forces in Europe treaty and the Open Skies treaty. The Defense Threat Reduction Agency was established in 1998 by the consolidation of several previous organizations in the US Department of Defense, including the Defense Nuclear Agency and the On-Site Inspection Agency. Its vision statement is: Our agency's vision is to make the world safer by reducing the threat of weapons of mass destruction. Its mission statement is: "DTRA's mission is to safeguard America and its interests from weapons of mass destruction (chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and high explosives) by reducing the threat and providing quality tools and services."
The On-Site Inspection Directorate of DTRA is responsible for inspections under an increasing number of treaties signed by many of the world's nations providing for inspections and other security-building measures. These treaties include the Conventional Armed Forces in Europe treaty, which sets limits on weapons in Europe and provides for inspections to ensure that these limits are met. They also include the Open Skies Treaty. An Open Skies treaty was originally proposed by President Eisenhower. It was negotiated much later, and was finally ratified by the United States in 1993, and entered into force in 2002. It provides a limited right for signatory states to conduct observation flights over other signatory states.
The Threat Reduction Directorate of DTRA is responsible for reducing the threat to the world from weapons of mass destruction. Its responsibilities include assisting former Soviet Union states in destroying previous Soviet weapons, as well as in locating and disposing of other weapons of mass destruction.
The Technology Development Directorate of DTRA is responsible for developing technologies to reduce the threat to US warfighters from weapons of mass destruction.
The Chemical and Biological Defense Directorate is the principal office within the US Department of Defense that is responsible for defense (and research into defense) against chemical and biological weapons, both to protect US citizens and to protect US military personnel.
The Defense Threat Reduction Agency employs more than 2000 men and women and has a budget of approximately $2.6 billion.