Nuclear Weapons & Stockpile

Staff Reports NS&D Monitor 2/27/2015 A top official at Consolidated Nuclear Security, the Bechtel-led partnership that manages the Y-12 and Pantex nuclear weapons plants under a combined contract, said last week that there’s “not much flexibility at this point” for moving funds back and forth between the Tennessee and Texas plants. Dave Beck, vice president […]

NS&D Monitor 2/27/2015 IN THE INDUSTRY CH2M Hill shareholders late last week approved a proposal that would allow the company to seek minority investment from outside investors. The proposal, as outlined in a proxy statement issued last month, involves the elimination of the “prohibition on the issuance of common stock, directly or indirectly, to persons […]

The Heritage Foundation yesterday released its “2015 Index of U.S. Military Strength,” which assesses the overall military power of U.S. nuclear forces as “marginal.” Warhead modernization, delivery systems modernization, the weapons complex and nuclear test readiness were ranked as “weak”; warhead surety, national labs talent and force readiness were dubbed “marginal”; and only delivery platform reliability and […]

Air Force senior leadership gathered yesterday at Minot AFB for the quarterly meeting of the Nuclear Oversight Board (NOB) established by former Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel in November, days before announcing his resignation, according to a Minot press release. While the board usually convenes in Washington, members met at Minot this time to get a […]

The National Nuclear Security Administration has wrapped up work on a Y-12 National Security Complex project designed to upgrade a pair of aging facilities—Buildings 9212 and 9204-2E—and it said it has done it nearly 11 months ahead of schedule and $5.6 million under budget. The $75.7 million Nuclear Facilities Risk Reduction project refurbished mechanical, electrical, […]

Defense Secretary Ashton Carter will soon lead his first meeting of the Nuclear Deterrent Enterprise Review Group (NDERG), after former Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel held two NDERG meetings following the completion of one internal and one external review that both uncovered morale and equipment flaws within the nuclear enterprise, according to Greg Weaver, Principal Director […]

NS&D Monitor 2/20/2015 IN THE NNSA The National Nuclear Security Administration has raised the ceiling on its Design, Integration, Construction, Communication, and Engineering (DICCE) services multiple-award contract from $700 million to $790 million, allowing existing work for the NNSA’s Office of Nuclear Smuggling Detection and Deterrence to continue. In separate sole source justifications for the […]

Todd Jacobson NS&D Monitor 2/20/2015 Sequestration cuts would have a “devastating” and wide-ranging impact on the work of the National Nuclear Security Administration, NNSA Administrator Frank Klotz said this week. Speaking Feb. 18 at the Seventh Annual Nuclear Deterrence Summit in Washington, Klotz referred to the across-the-board sequestration cuts that would go into effect in […]

Mike Nartker WC Monitor 2/20/2015 The Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board needs to do more to further improve internal procedures and controls, the Government Accountability Office said in a report released late this week. Before 2013, the Board had few written policies and procedures for its five members and its technical staff, according to the […]

Brian Bradley NS&D Monitor 2/20/2015 As the nuclear weapons complex moves from a period of sustainment to modernization, Congressional backing of the funding and strategy of the nuclear enterprise is higher than it has been in previous years, staffers from the House and Senate Armed Services committees said this week at the Seventh Annual Nuclear […]

NS&D Monitor 2/20/2015 Longtime weapons complex official Troy Wade was awarded this week with the third annual Johnny Foster Award by ExchangeMonitor Publications and Forums. The award was presented to Wade at the Seventh Annual Nuclear Deterrence Summit, held in Washington. Wade served more than 50 years in the nation’s nuclear weapons programs in a […]

Sandia Field Office Manager Geoff Beausoleil Named Replacement Todd Jacobson NS&D Monitor 2/20/2015 Steve Erhart, who helped stand up the National Nuclear Security Administration Production Office three years ago, is shifting to head up the agency’s new Office of Policy and he will be replaced by Sandia Field Office Manager Geoff Beausoleil. Office of Secure […]

Todd Jacobson NS&D Monitor 2/20/2015 In an unexpected turn of events this week, the Secretary of Energy Advisory Board did not approve a draft memorandum endorsing a call to better integrate the National Nuclear Security Administration within the Department of Energy. SEAB members gathered for a teleconference Feb. 17 to approve the memorandum—and voice support for the […]

Brian Bradley NS&D Monitor 2/20/2015 The Air Force is striving to increase its force end strength by 6,600 personnel, a boost intended, in part, to “bolster” nuclear forces, Secretary Deborah Lee James said last week. Speaking at the Air Warfare Symposium in Orlando Feb. 13, James spoke about the service’s planned investments in the nuclear […]

Mike Nartker NS&D Monitor 2/20/2015 The Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board needs to do more to further improve internal procedures and controls, the Government Accountability Office said in a report released late this week. Before 2013, the Board had few written policies and procedures for its five members and its technical staff, according to the […]

Todd Jacobson NS&D Monitor 2/20/2015 The National Nuclear Security Administration is evaluating the causes of several incidents of misclassified material at Los Alamos National Laboratory in response to a Department of Energy Inspector General report that revealed that “sensitive, national security information” had been inadvertently disclosed by a LANL classification officer. The IG report, released last week, […]

Longtime weapons complex official Troy Wade was awarded yesterday with the third annual Johnny Foster Award by ExchangeMonitor Publications and Forums. Wade served more than 50 years in the nation’s nuclear weapons programs in a variety of roles, from his time as a Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory nuclear weapons explosives expert at the Nevada Test Site in […]

Sequestration cuts would have a “devastating” and wide-ranging impact on the work National Nuclear Security Administration, NNSA Administrator Frank Klotz said yesterday. Speaking at the Nuclear Deterrence Summit in Washington, D.C., Klotz referred to the across-the-board sequestration cuts that would go into effect in Fiscal Year 2016 as the “800-pound elephant in the room” and […]

Steve Erhart, who helped stand up the National Nuclear Security Administration Production Office three years ago, is shifting to head up the agency’s new Office of Policy and he will be replaced by Sandia Field Office Manager Geoff Beausoleil. Office of Secure Transportation Assistant Deputy Administrator Jeff Harrell will replace Beausoleil as the head of […]

The Department of Energy’s enforcement office is raising concerns after investigating security incidents that occurred last year involving an unclassified waste stream at the Y-12 National Security Complex. The incidents occurred just before Consolidated Nuclear Security, LLC, took over the M&O contract at Y-12 in July 2014, but DOE’s Office of Enterprise Assessments’ Office of […]

In an unexpected turn of events yesterday, the Secretary of Energy Advisory Board did not approve a draft memorandum endorsing a call to better integrate the National Nuclear Security Administration within the Department of Energy. SEAB members gathered for a teleconference quibbled over language in the letter related to a recommendation of the panel to […]

The National Nuclear Security Administration has raised the ceiling on its Design, Integration, Construction, Communication, and Engineering (DICCE) services multiple-award contract from $700 million to $790 million, allowing existing work for the NNSA’s Office of Nuclear Smuggling Detection and Deterrence to continue. In separate sole source justifications for the two remaining DICCE contractors, SES-TECH Global […]

The National Nuclear Security Administration is evaluating the causes of several of misclassified material at Los Alamos National Laboratory in response to a Department of Energy Inspector General report that revealed that “sensitive, national security information” had been inadvertently disclosed by a LANL classification officer. The IG report included several instances where guidance on classified […]

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh III and service Secretary Deborah Lee James are striving to increase force end strength by 6,600 personnel, a boost intended, in part, to “bolster” nuclear forces, James said Friday. Speaking at the Air Warfare Symposium in Orlando, the secretary spoke about the service’s planned investments in the […]

The Secretary of Energy Advisory Board is poised to endorse the central recommendation of the Congressional Advisory Panel on the Governance of the Nuclear Security Enterprise: moving the National Nuclear Security Administration back into the Department of Energy with an increased nuclear security focus among DOE leadership. The SEAB will meet via teleconference at 11:30 […]

The Seventh annual Nuclear Deterrence Summit kicks off this evening in Washington, D.C., and will run through Friday at the Omni Shoreham Hotel, with major speeches planned Wednesday from National Nuclear Security Administration chief Frank Klotz, Russian Amb. Sergey Kislyak, Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Rose Gottemoeller, Navy Strategic Systems […]

Staff Reports NS&D Monitor 2/13/2015 The Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board is raising a number of seismic safety issues at two Y-12 production facilities—Beta-2E and Building 9215—that have become integral to the National Nuclear Security Administration’s revised strategy for scaling back the scope of the Uranium Processing Facility and getting out of the decrepit 9212 […]

Brian Bradley NS&D Monitor 2/13/2015 Senators whose states house facilities that play a major role in the U.S. nuclear enterprise mostly praised the Senate’s 93-5 vote yesterday to confirm Ashton Carter to replace Chuck Hagel as Defense Secretary. “I look forward to working with Dr. Ashton Carter to protect American security interests both domestic and […]

Brian Bradley NS&D Monitor 2/13/2015 As different nations are modernizing or striving to develop their strategic capabilities, the United States must invest in upgrading its nuclear deterrent, Adm. Cecil Haney, commander of U.S. Strategic Command, said during a speech at the Capitol Hill Club in Washington Feb. 6. Haney pointed to Russia, which has engaged […]

CNS, Union Agree to Extend Contract Talks NS&D Monitor 2/13/2015 The Metal Trades Council and Pantex contractor Consolidated Nuclear Security have agreed to continue talks past a Feb. 16 deadline when the union’s contract was set to expire, but both sides aren’t talking about issues involved in the discussions. “Consolidated Nuclear Security and the Metal […]