The Government Accountability Office last week said the National Nuclear Security Administration could do more to develop a resiliency strategy to mitigate risks to its explosives supply chain, manufacturing and infrastructure.
According to a report published March 12, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) found 66 total risks, identified by the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), across the agency’s 11 explosives supply chains.
Potential risks include relying on a sole-supplier that provides a material that could become unavailable, relying on a foreign supplier during a potential geopolitical situation that affects international commerce, operational delays, legacy processes, testing requirements, and the age and safety of infrastructure.
While NNSA followed supply chain risk management practices, such as developing a strategy for mitigating supply chain risks like identifying new suppliers and developing new production processes, GAO said the agency needs a resilience strategy “to ensure the supply chain is flexible” to adapt to and mitigate “future adverse events.”
NNSA’s acting administrator Teresa Robbins agreed to all three of GAO’s recommendations. Robbins estimated NNSA would finalize a policy with a process to conduct supplier risk reviews by May 31, and assess the need for a required supply chain risk management training by the same date.
Robbins said by Dec. 31, NNSA is expected to complete a strategy for supply chain resiliency.
The GAO report accompanies the fiscal 2024 National Defense Authorization Act, which includes a provision that GAO assess NNSA’s explosives supply chain, infrastructure and program management.
