NNSA’S FINAN: ELIMINATED MARGIN ON W76 REFURBISHMENT MAIN CONCERN FOR NAVY

Air Force Brig. Gen. Sandra Finan, the top active duty military officer in the NNSA’s weapons program, shed light on the Navy’s concerns with the agency’s plans to stretch production on refurbished W76 warheads through 2021, three more years than had been initially planned. NNSA officials previously said the altered production schedule frees up money for another life extension program on the B61 bomb by postponing the production of “technical hedge” warheads but is designed to meet the Navy’s operational requirements. Navy officials had expressed the concern about the plan, but hadn’t specifically outlined their objections. “What has happened is we’ve eliminated the margin, so if there were any issues with the schedule, the Navy’s nervousness comes from the fact that our ability to absorb issues that could arise—effectively we’ve taken on more risk. They’re uncomfortable with that level of risk,” Finan, the agency’s Principal Assistant Deputy Administrator for Military Application, said at a House Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee hearing yesterday. She added: “We are aware of those concerns and really it comes down to margin. The program is executable … but the margin is down to nothing.”