Nuclear Weapons Council Debating Expanding Scope of W88 Alt 370

The Nuclear Weapons Council is currently examining expanding the scope of the W88 Alt 370, debating replacing the conventional high explosive as part of an effort to replace the arming, fuzing and firing mechanism on the warhead, Navy Strategic Systems Programs Director Vice Adm. Terry Benedict said Friday. Speaking at the Capitol Hill Club, Benedict confirmed that the NWC was considering the change in scope to the work on the warhead, and he said on the sidelines of the speech that replacing the conventional high explosives while the warhead in conjunction with the Alt 370 program is a “practical mitigation strategy to sustain” the warhead into the late 2030s. Currently, the warhead could need to be refurbished as soon as 2030, perhaps as part of the first interoperable warhead (with the W78).

High explosives are typically replaced during full warhead refurbishments, but the Alt 370 as previously planned involves limited work on the warhead. Benedict said doing the high explosive work alongside the arming, fuzing and firing system work could save money, and flight and ground qualification testing could be done at the same time. The replacement would not involve insensitive high explosive, Benedict said. “It gives us more life on that asset,” Benedict said. “Eventually you have to deal with it, either in a full blown life extension program or you know an IW [interoperable warhead] concept, but it would give us more time.”