Publications: Nuclear Security & Deterrence Monitor

The Virginia-class fast-attack submarine USS Colorado (SSN-788) arrived at HMAS Stirling on Oct. 27 to start a scheduled month-long maintenance period, the fourth such submarine maintenance period in the region since AUKUS’s establishment, according to a Navy press release.  This came days after the Pentagon announced SSN-788 will be the first American Virginia-class submarine assigned […]

As the Democrats flip both the House and Senate in the midterm elections, the leadership of several committees will change drastically.  As of Thursday evening, the Associated Press and other national media outlets have projected the Democrats to win more than 250 seats in the House and hold at least 54 seats. The new session […]

Earnings rose at Fluor, Irving, Texas, in the third quarter, which the engineering and construction company with extensive government contracts, attributed to strong markets for energy and infrastructure. Net earnings for the third quarter ended Sept. 30 were $158 million or $1.16 a share up from a loss of $697 million or a loss of […]

Viewers did not need to stay up late Tuesday night to hear most major national news outlets had declared that the Democratic Party had won control of both the U.S. House of Representatives as well as the Senate as that was determined by 11:30 p.m. Eastern Time.  CBS News reported early Wednesday morning that Democrats […]

The United States Navy has selected its Naval Weapons Stations in Crane, Ind. to support large-scale advanced nuclear power generation at the naval installation. Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao announced on Oct. 28 at the 5th annual Northeast Indiana Defense Summit, hosted by Sen. Jim Banks (R-Ind.), that the Navy is seeking proposals […]

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The National Nuclear Security Administration is exploring changes to its acquisition practices that could make it easier for commercial companies and firms without extensive NNSA experience to compete for work. B.J. Quigley, NNSA’s senior procurement executive, said at the Energy Technology and Environmental Business Association’s (ETEBA) annual conference last week the agency […]

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory plans to demolish roughly one-third of its primary Livermore, Calif. footprint over the next 16 years as it clears space and reduces infrastructure risk to make way for new mission capabilities. Mark Costella, transition and disposition program manager at LLNL, said at the Energy Technology and Environmental Business […]

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Brandon Williams, administrator of the National Nuclear Security Administration, wants small and mid-sized U.S. businesses to help rapidly rebuild the agency’s nuclear production infrastructure, calling the effort a “national security imperative” amid sweeping modernization across the enterprise. Speaking at the Energy Technology and Environmental Business Association’s (ETEBA) annual conference last week, Williams […]

General Dynamics (GD) last week reported strong sales and earnings in the third quarter led by the company’s shipbuilding business followed by the Aerospace segment, the company said on its quarterly earnings call. Overall, in the quarter, GD’s net income rose 16% to $1.2 billion, $4.49 earnings per share (EPS), from $1.1 billion ($3.88 EPS) […]

Bethesda, Md.-based uranium broker Centrus Energy reported mixed results in its earnings for the third quarter, seeing a gain in its quarterly income, but a decrease in net revenue. Net income for the third quarter ended Sept. 30 was $31.6 million, or about $1.53 a share, up from $3.9 million, or $0.21 a share, in […]

Raytheon received an $8 billion contract from the Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center that runs through 2036 to support the modernization and production restart of Strategic Communications Terminals. Raytheon, based in Marlborough, Mass., was awarded the maximum-ceiling, cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery-indefinite-quantity contract for developmental modernization, production restart services and technical studies associated with the Air Force Nuclear […]

Earnings rose at Lynchburg, Va.- based BWX Technology (BWXT) in the third quarter, which the company attributed to trends in energy security challenges requiring nuclear solutions. Net earnings for the third quarter ended were $102 million, or $1.11 a share, up from $82.2 million, or $0.89 a share, in the year-ago quarter, according to the […]

Betty Huck has taken over as manager of the National Nuclear Security Administration’s Savannah River Field Office, overseeing more than $2.9 billion in annual contracts at the South Carolina site, according to a Nov. 2 press release. Huck succeeds Michael Mikolanis as field office manager, after Mikolanis announced in September he was moving back to […]

Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) reported strong third quarter financial results driven by strong shipbuilding sales, profit on the Virginia-class attack submarine program, and milestones achieved in unmanned maritime systems. Net income soared 50% to $217 million, $5.48 earnings per share (EPS), from $145 million ($3.68 EPS) a year ago. Sales increased 11% to $3.5 billion […]

Three large Lithium-Ion batteries from the Department of Energy’s Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), near Carlsbad, N.M., are being shipped to Pittsburgh where government researchers will study potential mine-fire risks. DOE and WIPP prime Salado Isolation Mining Contractors have reached an Inter-Agency Agreement with the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). The batteries […]

An evening fire that led the Department of Energy to declare an emergency at the Savannah River National Laboratory near Aiken, S.C., was extinguished and the emergency alert lifted shortly before 10 p.m. Wednesday, DOE said. The emergency alert was terminated at 9;45 p.m,, DOE said Wednesday night. There were no detectable levels of contamination, […]

The National Nuclear Security Administration’s (NNSA) federal workforce fell nearly 12% as the agency’s workload reached its highest level since the Cold War, according to a new Government Accountability Office (GAO) report. NNSA’s federal workforce declined by 236 employees, from 1,991 in the first quarter of fiscal 2025 to 1,755 in the second quarter of […]

Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS), the joint prime contractor for Savannah River Site, is expanding research and development investments at the Savannah River Site with aims to accelerate technology development supporting the National Nuclear Security Administration’s (NNSA) missions. SRNS’ Office of Innovation is directing research investments across the site and coordinating work with national laboratories, […]

Fluor Marine Propulsion has received a $2.4 billion contract modification for work supporting the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program at the Naval Nuclear Laboratory, according to the Defense Department. The $2.409 billion cost-plus-fixed-fee modification, awarded Sept. 24 and announced by the Pentagon Oct. 23, modifies previously awarded contract N0002418C2130. The work will support Naval Nuclear Propulsion […]

Fairbanks Morse Defense last week broke ground on a $60 million manufacturing facility that will increase production on Virginia-class naval propulsion components funded in part from international AUKUS funds. The company on Oct. 20 broke ground on the third Center of Excellence at the existing Bird-Johnson Propeller Company facility in Pascagoula, Miss., which it said […]

The Pentagon said Monday it picked the USS Colorado (SSN-788) to be the first U.S. Navy Virginia-class attack submarine assigned to Submarine Rotation Force West (SRF-West), marking the next step in the AUKUS submarine process, starting in late 2027. SRF-West aims to help Australia prepare to ultimately operate, maintain and support its own nuclear-powered and […]

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The National Nuclear Security Administration expects to release a draft request for quotations (RFQ) for its Technical and Engineering Program Support 4 contract, or TEST 4, in January 2027, with the agency targeting contract performance beginning later that year. B.J. Quigley, NNSA’s senior procurement executive, said at the Energy Technology and Environmental […]

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission has finalized the rule to create a more uniform regulatory pathway for commercializing Department of Energy and Pentagon-approved reactor designs.  Originally proposed in April, the final rule is designed to allow NRC to leverage other agencies’ data and information regarding the reactor designs in its own regulatory review process. The rule […]

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Rep. Chuck Fleischmann (R-Tenn.) told federal contractors and industry members here that he still expects the Energy and Water Development bill for fiscal 2027 to pass before Dec. 11. Fleischmann, who wrote the most recent energy and water appropriations bill, doubled down on his predicted passage of the bill Wednesday after he […]

BWX Technologies’ (BWXT) subsidiary, BWXT Advanced Fuels, will supply tri-structural – or TRISO – fuel to Antares Nuclear under a new multi-year agreement, the companies said Tuesday. Under this contract, BWXT will provide an initial supply of one metric ton of uranium of TRISO fuel to Antares. If Antares reactor deployment continues to grow, then […]

KNOXVILLE, TENN. — The Department of Energy’s Assistant Secretary for Environmental Management (EM) Tim Walsh said here Wednesday the nuclear cleanup branch is drawing closer to a deal with New Mexico over state permit modifications for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) near Carlsbad, N.M. “So, we completed our mediation and it’s just with our […]

Parsons Corp. Chief Financial Officer Matt Ofilos will resign Nov. 6 to pursue another professional opportunity, with former CFO George Ball returning on an interim basis as the company searches for a permanent successor. Ofilos’ resignation is not related to any disagreement with Parsons over the company’s operations, policies or practices, the company said Oct. […]

The Department of Energy’s disposal site for defense-related transuranic waste narrowly avoided two accidents in August, according to a September staff report from the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB). There were two separate “near miss” episodes, one on Aug. 3 and one on Aug. 6, at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), according to […]