Publications: Nuclear Security & Deterrence Monitor

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) pressed Energy Secretary Chris Wright recently over the Department of Energy’s decision to redirect funding intended for the Savannah River Site to weapons production efforts at Los Alamos National Laboratory. During a Senate Appropriations Energy and Water Development subcommittee hearing in late April, Graham said $149 million appropriated through reconciliation for […]

Russia said Tuesday it successfully tested a nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missile and plans to field the weapon later this year, a move that came as ceasefire efforts in Ukraine appeared increasingly strained. The country had carried out a successful test of the Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile, according to comments made during a meeting with Strategic […]

The Department of Energy’s Office of Naval Reactors could save billions of dollars and 15 years of cleanup time partnering with the Office of Environmental Management to clean up retired nuclear propulsion facilities, says the Government Accountability Office (GAO).  A report from the agency last week said the Office of Naval Reactors, which is responsible […]

The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) recently completed construction at the Pantex Plant’s High Explosives Science and Engineering facility, consolidating 15 Manhattan Project-era facilities, the agency said last week. “The new High Explosives Science and Engineering facility is a landmark achievement, setting an unprecedented standard for high explosives research and development crucial to national security,” […]

Under an Air Force initiative for the service’s B-2 Spirit stealth bomber by Northrop Grumman, the service would create a government-owned technical data library through reverse engineering and data rights acquisition. This news comes from a Thursday business notice from the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center bomber directorate’s contracting office at Tinker Air Force […]

Earnings rose at Fluor, Irving, Texas, in the first quarter, which the international engineering and construction company attributed to awards in nuclear and other sectors. Net earnings attributable to Fluor for the quarter ended March 31 were $160 million or $1.08 a share up from a $241 million loss, or a $1.42 loss per share […]

BWX Technologies said Thursday that it has received more than $1.4 billion in contracts under the U.S. Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program, continuing a steady stream of awards tied to the Navy’s submarine and aircraft carrier reactor enterprise.  The largest award, valued at roughly $1.285 billion, covers long-lead material procurement for fiscal 2026 and represents the […]

Ted Turner, founder of news outlet CNN and founding co-chair of the Nuclear Threat Initiative, died at home in Tallahassee, Fla. Wednesday at age 87 due to Lewy body dementia. According to a statement by NTI, Turner launched the non-profit organization in 2001 with Sam Nunn and Charlie Curtis after watching a report on 60 […]

Earnings fell for Centrus Energy, based in Bethesda, Md., in the first quarter, which the uranium broker and enrichment technology developer attributed to an increase in advanced technology costs and paying off debt. Net earnings for the first quarter ended March 31 were $10 million, or $0.51 a share, compared to $27.2 million, or $1.60 […]

The Donald Trump administration has requested that Congress again budget $45 million for the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB) for fiscal 2027, partly due to increased nuclear weapons work. The $45 million was equal to the White House request for fiscal 2026, which ends Sept. 30, although Congress appropriated less, $42 million in fiscal […]

Delayed multi-ship contracts for 15 attack and ballistic missile submarines are finally expected in the second quarter of 2026, Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) CEO Chris Kastner said in a company earnings call Tuesday. Kastner said the company is “making good progress on the [Virginia-class submarine] Block VI and the next Columbia contract with awards expected […]

Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) pressed David Beck, deputy administrator for defense programs at the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), on whether the agency’s fiscal 2027 budget reflects a shifting strategy on plutonium pit production. During a Senate Appropriations Energy and Water Development hearing last week, the ranking member of both the subcommittee and full committee […]

The U.S. Air Force Commercial Engine Replacement Program for the Boeing B-52J recently passed a Critical Design Review, according to the service. The passage of review allows Boeing’s San Antonio, Texas, plant to modify two B-52Hs later this year to carry new F130 engines by Rolls-Royce. “Following this initial work, the two modified B-52J test […]

Sen. John Kennedy (R-La) last week questioned whether the United States needs to pursue two separate plutonium pit production facilities, signaling potential scrutiny ahead as lawmakers weigh rising nuclear weapons spending against broader defense priorities. Kennedy chairs the Senate Appropriations Energy and Water Development Subcommittee, and made comments at a hearing featuring testimony from top […]

Earnings rose at BWX Technologies (BWXT), Lynchburg, Va., in the first quarter, which the Department of Energy contractor attributed to opportunities in nuclear manufacturing and the company’s recent acquisition. Net earnings for the first quarter ended March 31 were $91.2 million, or $0.99 a share, up from $75.5 million, or $0.82 a share, in the […]

Russia possesses the world’s largest nuclear arsenal, a position it is leveraging alongside an expanding set of strategic capabilities, according to a May 1 report by the Congressional Research Service and U.S. Naval Institute. The report said Pentagon’s 2026 National Defense Strategy assesses that Moscow maintains the biggest stockpile globally and continues to modernize and […]

Congress passing $350 billion in reconciliation funds to support the Donald Trump administration’s potential $1.5 trillion fiscal 2027 defense topline is “going to have its challenges,” a senior member of the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) said.  “I want to make sure that we get through that. I want to make sure that members know […]

A drone strike targeted infrastructure at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant on May 3, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).   The IAEA said on X Sunday the drone hit an external radiation control laboratory located outside the plant’s main perimeter. No injuries were reported, and the extent of damage remains unclear pending […]

The deadline for a Genesis Mission solicitation was moved back to May 1 from April 28, according to the DOE Office of Science grants website. The solicitation from March invited interested parties from national laboratories, universities and the commercial industry to submit proposals for a $293-million requisition for application (RFA) for the Genesis Mission. Broken […]

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Secretary of Energy Chris Wright were among the government officials evacuated from the White House Correspondents Dinner in Washington, D.C. after an armed man forced his way into the event headlined by President Donald Trump. Hegseth’s presence was cited by Trump during a press conference about an hour after […]

During a public meeting Tuesday in Carlsbad, N.M., most local residents voiced support for current operations of the Department of Energy’s Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) and argued a state agency’s proposal to modify WIPP’s permit is unnecessary. Further, most said if the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) thinks too few shipments of legacy transuranic […]

Carlsbad, N.M. — A proposed overhaul of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) hazardous waste permit drew mixed reactions at Tuesday’s community forum, with stakeholders clashing over whether the changes would ease or create a bottleneck in federal cleanup efforts. The New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) is proposing revisions that would require DOE to prioritize […]

The Y-12 National Security Complex said in a press release it exceeded its fiscal 2026 lithium metal production goal by a wide margin, achieving 177% of its target. The enriched lithium — used in nuclear weapons applications rather than commercial batteries — will be used in nuclear weapons components in the nation’s stockpile, managed by […]

National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) Administrator Brandon Williams said the agency plans to hire about 100 federal employees as it works to rebuild its workforce following prior staffing losses, telling lawmakers the effort will focus on targeted, high-quality hires. “We are looking to hire about 100 new personnel…across our enterprise,” Williams said during a Senate […]

The Navy last Thursday awarded General Dynamics’ Electric Boat division an initial $197 million contract to support the AUKUS program as it helps Australia set up the capability to build and maintain nuclear-powered attack submarines.  AUKUS is the trilateral framework between the U.S., Australia and the United Kingdom to supply nuclear-powered submarines and other nuclear […]

Northrop Grumman sold the U.S. Air Force one of the company’s test B-21 Raiders as part of an effort to accelerate production of the 6th generation stealth bomber. “To support the acceleration of aircraft deliveries, we agreed to sell an aircraft to the Air Force that was previously planned to be utilized as a company-owned […]

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) posted a video April 26 remarking on the 40th anniversary of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant disaster, known to many as the “worst nuclear accident ever.” “We are marking a somber anniversary,” Rafael Grossi, the director general of the international nuclear watchdog, said in the video on the agency’s […]

The Navy plans to buy the first new Trump-class battleship, designated BBG(X), in 2028 and wants to spend upwards of $43.5 billion over the next five years to procure three battleships, according to budget request documents released Tuesday. The Navy’s fiscal year 2027 shipbuilding procurement budget book specifically outlines plans to spend $1 billion in […]