Non-Hazardous Explosives for Security Training and Testing (NESTT) is a concept developed at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) in Livermore, California under the direction of nationally renowned explosives expert John Kury. NESTT is a safe alternative to using actual explosives for assisting in training bomb sniffing dogs and personnel.

National security concerns prompted LLNL to put the technology to broader use in counter terrorism activities. In 2000, XM acquired the commercial license to produce and market NESTT materials.

Collaboration between LLNL and XM has made NESTT commercially available for use with a number of explosive detection instruments. Suites of safe materials can now be used with detection instruments using X-rays, neutrons or gamma rays. NESTT materials are also available for use with quadrapole resonance and trace explosive detection instruments.

The use of NESTT circumvents many of the problems associated with the storage, transportation and use of actual explosives in public places such as airports. The ability to train in realistic environments significantly increases the effectiveness of explosive detection instruments.