Publications: Nuclear Security & Deterrence Monitor

Shipments to the Department of Energy’s Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) appear to be back in full swing, with the facility receiving 55 waste shipments in April.  That’s the highest total since the 61 shipments of defense-related transuranic (TRU) waste that WIPP received in September 2025. It was also higher than the 47 it received […]

The proposed fiscal 2027 Energy and Water Development appropriations bill drew criticism from top Democratic appropriators over a $282 million reduction to the National Nuclear Security Administration’s (NNSA) Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation account. During debate at Wednesday’s full Appropriations committee markup, Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), ranking member of the House Appropriations Committee, argued the proposed 12% […]

The House Appropriations Energy and Water Subcommittee passed by voice vote its version of a bill that would give $27 billion to the Department of Energy’s semi-autonomous National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) for fiscal 2027. That number is $1.67 billion more than was enacted for the agency in charge of maintaining the nation’s nuclear weapons […]

Ted Wyka, the manager at the National Nuclear Security Administration’s Los Alamos Field Office, is retiring at the end of June, sources told the Exchange Monitor at a hearing in Santa Fe, N.M. Prior to his manager role, Wyka was NNSA’s principal deputy associate administrator for safety, infrastructure and operations, and NNSA’s cognizant secretarial officer […]

The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) said last week it successfully transferred 1.7 metric tons of high-assay, low-enriched uranium (HALEU) from Japan to the United States, reportedly the largest international transfer in the agency’s history. NNSA teamed up with Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Science and Technology and the Japan Atomic Energy Agency, according to […]

The Department of Energy’s Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) is in jeopardy of ceasing operations due to its aging facility and spent fuel storage nearing its capacity, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) said in a May 7 report. The GAO recommended that DOE complete its evaluation of the Idaho Operations Office’s research and test reactor spent […]

The Department of Energy said Tuesday the Idaho National Laboratory recently made its first shipment of remote-handled transuranic (TRU) waste to DOE’s underground disposal site in New Mexico for the first time since 2014. Workers from Amentum-led contractor Idaho Environmental Coalition made the remote-handled transuranic waste shipment on April 21, according to DOE. The shipments […]

The Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB) has unveiled a new public website that should be easier to use.  “This update is part of a broader effort to improve transparency and accessibility for Congress, stakeholders, and the public—and to make it easier to quickly find our work, understand current issues, and navigate key materials across […]

WASHINGTON — Brandon Williams, head of the National Nuclear Security Administration, said Wednesday the agency is rebidding the contract for Savannah River Site due to a “not acceptable” performance on the pit production program. “We are rebidding the contract because we agree with you that the timeline and the budget is not acceptable,” Williams said […]

WASHINGTON — Energy Secretary Chris Wright said Wednesday the United States need not resume explosive nuclear testing, though he and National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) head Brandon Williams acknowledged the president could choose to do so for reasons beyond technical necessity. Both officials’ answers were prompted by sharp questioning from Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) during […]

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 […]