Vol. 30, No. 11 
Sentinel delays keep pressure on aging Minuteman III, STRATCOM says
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Contracts & Procurement
Most NNSA primes get high performance marks for fiscal 2025
The National Nuclear Security Administration has released its fiscal 2025 Performance Evaluation Reports, with contractors across the nuclear security enterprise largely earning “Excellent” or “Very Good” ratings and award fees near or above 90%. The evaluations highlight strong execution of stockpile stewardship and modernization programs, while continuing to flag risks related to aging infrastructure, workforce […]
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Delivery Systems & Nuclear Triad
Pentagon weighs second B-21 production line
Discussions continue about opening a second production line for the B-21, the U.S. Strategic Command (STRATCOM) head said on Tuesday at a hearing of the House Armed Services Committee’s (HASC) strategic forces panel. Former STRATCOM commander Gen. Anthony Cotton has said the service needs around 145 Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider stealth bombers–at least 45 more […]
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Uranium Enrichment & Fuel Cycle
DOE works to build up uranium enrichment under Trump orders
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The United States needs to reestablish a robust domestic uranium enrichment program in order to meet future nuclear goals, Department of Energy Assistant Secretary of Nuclear Energy Ted Garrish said here Thursday. “When I first came onboard, I recognized this really is the biggest risk to the nuclear industry,” Garrish said of […]
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International
SASC Democrat criticizes potential special forces in Iran, demands report of war costs
Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.), ranking member of the Senate Armed Forces Committee, demanded a report by the Pentagon summarizing total war costs of Operation Epic Fury, or the Donald Trump administration and Israel’s combat operations in Iran. “I will not support a blank check for this war of choice,” Reed said on the Senate floor […]
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International
U.S. vote on nuclear plant attacks sends wrong message, think-tank official says
The United States should embrace a clear policy condemning military attacks on international nuclear power plants, a senior think tank official said at a hearing Monday. Earlier this month the United States was one of only four countries that opposed a resolution for the International Atomic Energy Agency [IAEA] Board of Governors that expressed concern […]
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Innovation & Infrastructure
DOE kicks off $293M Genesis Mission solicitation
The Department of Energy is inviting teams from national laboratories, domestic industry, and universities to submit proposals as part of a $293-million requisition for application (RFA) being issued as part of the Genesis Mission. DOE said in a Tuesday press release it is inviting submissions for “The Genesis Mission: Transforming Science and Energy with AI […]
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Contracts & Procurement
Savannah River prime establishes hub for targeted research for NNSA
Savannah River Nuclear Solutions, the management and operating contractor at the National Nuclear Security Administration’s (NNSA) Savannah River Site, established the Office of Innovation in September, the prime said in a press release Wednesday. The Office of Innovation will be a dedicated hub for research and technology at Savannah River Site and will craft a […]
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Budget & Policy
DOD official: fiscal 2027 budget coming ‘relatively soon’
The Pentagon’s fiscal year 2027 budget request is coming “relatively soon,” a senior official said last week, saying it will outline a “generational investment in the joint force.” After last year’s delayed budget rollout that irked Congress, Jay Hurst III, the department’s acting comptroller, said the forthcoming request will offer a greater level of initial […]
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Defense & Military
NNSA holds low-altitude helicopter flights over Perry Nuclear Plant
The National Nuclear Security Administration was to conduct low-altitude helicopter flights March 16 through March 19 over the Perry Nuclear Power Plant in Perry, Ohio, the agency said in an email last week. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission last July extended the operating license for the Vistra Corp. nuclear plant by 20 years. The NNSA’s aerial […]
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Transuranic Waste
WIPP ends two-month outage; plans longer one in 2027
The Department of Energy’s Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) near Carlsbad, N.M., has completed an annual maintenance outage that started in January, while managers plan an even longer one next year. The outage that ran from Jan. 5 through March 13 is finished and the underground disposal site for defense-related transuranic waste is once again […]
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International
Wrap up: Projectile hits near Iran nuclear plant; Y-12 makes uranium ‘button;’ NVIDIA working on nuclear-powered AI; more
A projectile near Iran’s Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant reactor “hit and destroyed” a structure 350 meters away Tuesday night, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency on X. “Although there was no damage to the reactor itself nor injuries to staff, any attack at or near nuclear power plants violates the seven indispensable pillars related […]