Z-Division — is a Special Projects Group of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory established to provide the United States Intelligence Community with technical assessments of foreign nuclear programs and weapons capabilities.[1] Z-Division was formed in 1965, bringing together scientists and engineers to help intelligence agencies understand the significance of Soviet nuclear weapons tests. The letter 'Z' was chosen as most letters were already assigned to other divisions. Relationships with the American intelligence community were formalised by a memorandum of understanding drawn up between the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the Atomic Energy Commission (now the Department of Energy) in the same year.[2] The division has been described as "more or less" the intelligence arm of the Livermore Laboratory.[3]
References
edit- ^ Assessing the Weapons Capability of Others, Department of Energy website, retrieved 29/12/2008.[1]
- ^ Science and Technology Review, July/August 2002, retrieved 05/15/2024
- ^ Collins, Michael; Meyer, Josh. "What's the 'Z Division'? A secret team of scientists searches for answers on COVID-19's origins". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2024-07-12.
Further reading
edit- Jeffrey Richelson (2008). US Intelligence Community. Westview Press. pp. 147–148. ISBN 9780813343624.
External links
edit- LLNL Global Security / Intelligence (Z-Division) website
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory website
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