Vol. 30, No. 21 
Environmental document, decision clear way for expanded Sandia ops
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Delivery Systems & Nuclear Triad
Air Force could transfer funds to ICBMs from other programs in 2027 HASC proposal
Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink could gain the authority to transfer funds appropriated for non-ICBM programs to the LGM-35A Sentinel future ICBM and the existing Minuteman III, under the fiscal 2027 House Armed Services Committee (HASC) proposal by Chairman Mike Rogers (R-Ala.). The transfer authority would last from fiscal 2027 through fiscal 2030, […]
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National Laboratories
Livermore, Kansas City execs discuss nuclear modernization
The United States nuclear weapons enterprise must be flexible, scalable and collaborative in coming years in a world where Russia and China are rapidly modernizing their nuclear triad, officials said during a Tuesday webinar held by the Advanced Nuclear Weapons Alliance (ANWA) Deterrence Center. Kim Budil, director of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and Eric […]
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Naval Nuclear Propulsion
Navy looks to eventually assemble battleship at HII Newport News
The Navy told lawmakers last week it found a dry dock at Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Newport News Shipbuilding shipyard it thinks can be used for final assembly of the new Trump-class battleship. in between aircraft carrier sequencing. However, several armed services and appropriations committee members continue to express skepticism or outright opposition to the new […]
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Naval Nuclear Propulsion
Chief of Naval ops details new Ohio SSBN extension strategy
The Navy’s top officer last week outlined updates in the service’s strategy to extend the service life of several nuclear-armed Ohio-class ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs) that could result in quicker turnarounds for delays in the new Columbia-class boats. “We were looking at a number between four and five of these PIRAs, as we call them, […]
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Non-Proliferation
Reprocessing “not ready for primetime” and poses proliferation concerns, Roecker says
The United States should hold off on nuclear fuel reprocessing, until the proliferation concerns around the process are addressed, a former National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) official said recently. In a May interview with Exchange Monitor, Scott Roecker, who formerly served as the director of the Office of Nuclear Material Removal at NNSA, told the […]
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Non-Proliferation
Merkley still concerned about “gold standard” nuclear agreement with Saudis
Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) remains concerned that a prospective U.S.-Saudi Arabia 123 agreement may not include the “gold standard” nonproliferation provisions that bar uranium enrichment and spent fuel reprocessing. “You know, I have raised this at every opportunity, and always the answer is opaque,” Merkley said in an interview. “But what my impression is, no […]
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Budget & Policy
White House pursues non-disclosure agreements for federal employees
The White House Office of Personnel Management is seeking public comment on its proposal to implement non-disclosure agreements, or NDAs, for future and current federal employees. According to a Wednesday Federal Register notice, the proposal is meant to ensure employees “comply with, current legal obligations to safeguard non-public, confidential, or proprietary information, created or obtained […]
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National Laboratories
LANL exec says nuclear enterprise entering ‘fourth age of deterrence’
Los Alamos National Laboratory Deputy Director for Mission Operations Mark Davis said this month the U.S. nuclear weapons enterprise is entering a “fourth age of deterrence,” marking a shift from post-Cold War stewardship toward large-scale modernization and production. Speaking May 5 before the Los Alamos County Council, Davis described the current era as one driven […]
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National Laboratories
Los Alamos lab faces increasing electric power demands amid AI growth, exec says
Los Alamos National Laboratory may require significant electrical infrastructure upgrades within several years as artificial intelligence programs, supercomputing systems and weapons modernization activities sharply increase power demand, the lab’s Deputy Director for Mission Operations Mark Davis said this month. Speaking before the Los Alamos County Council, Davis said the laboratory is pursuing plans for a […]
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National Laboratories
Wrap Up: Rubble cleared from Y-12 site; Los Alamos wildfire meeting set; Cornyn loses Texas primary
About 81 million pounds of rubble have been cleared away from the two-acre footprint of the former Alpha-2 building site at the Y-12 National Security Complex at the Oak Ridge Site in Tennessee, the Department of Energy said Tuesday. That amounts to about 3,500 truckloads of debris being hauled away from the former uranium enrichment […]