Publications: Nuclear Security & Deterrence Monitor

The Department of Energy (DOE) has submitted its informational memorandum on open emergency management deficiencies at defense nuclear facilities as part of the DOE’s implementation of its complex-wide emergency preparedness and response improvement program. The department has been developing its implementation plan since the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB) recommended in 2014 that DOE […]

Interested parties have until mid-August to request a hearing or petition for intervention regarding an application for a Nuclear Regulatory Commission license for export of highly enriched uranium to Belgium. Nuclear transportation provider Edlow International filed the application in June for authorization to transport 134.208 kilograms of uranium 235 in 144 kilograms of uranium, enriched […]

The Savannah River Site’s Citizens Advisory Board (CAB) on Tuesday approved a position paper opposing the Department of Energy facility’s possible receipt of 900 kilograms of highly enriched uranium (HEU) from Germany. The board has no authority in the matter, but its positions can be representative of the broader community on various topics. The paper, one of several […]

Pat Host Defense Daily The Air Force is still determining the maximum total number of B-21s it will purchase, according to a top officer. Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC) chief Gen. Robin Rand said Thursday he recommends purchasing a minimum of 100 Long Range Strike Bombers (LRSB). He said that the maximum number of […]

Chicago Bridge & Iron (CB&I) on Wednesday reported $123.8 million in net income for the second quarter of 2016, down from $169.5 million during the same quarter last year. This corresponds to income of $1.17 per diluted share in the latest quarter, falling from $1.55 in the second quarter of 2015. Revenue landed at $2.7 billion […]

Northrop Grumman on Wednesday reported $6 billion in sales in the second quarter of 2016, a 2 percent year-over-year increase, along with $517 million in net earnings, down from $531 million in the same period of 2015. The company also reported a 2 percent decline in operating income from the second quarter of 2015 to that of 2016. […]

Incumbent Lockheed Martin said Monday it has teamed with the Purdue, New Mexico State (NMSU), and New Mexico Tech (NMT) universities to bid on the Sandia National Laboratories management and operations contract. The announcement clarifies the cooperative arrangement that was still unclear when Lockheed announced early last month its intent to bid to retain the contract. […]

The Nevada National Security Site’s 2016 full-scale exercise, intended to test the facility’s emergency response capabilities, highlighted a deficiency in providing sufficient information to off-site emergency management organizations, hindering their ability to respond to site emergencies with consequences beyond its boundaries, the Department of Energy’s Office of Enterprise Assessments (EA) found in a new report. This issue […]

The Savannah River Site in South Carolina has begun a process to restrict its airspace in response to the recent sightings of drones flying overhead. Due to the sensitivity of the matter, site officials won’t discuss further details, such as the individual steps in the process to restrict the airspace. In a note sent to […]

Honeywell said Friday its second-quarter 2016 sales totaled $10 billion, a 2 percent increase from the same quarter last year.  Earnings per share also increased by 10 percent year over year, leading the company to raise its EPS guidance for 2016 by 8-10 percent, to $6.60-$6.70. Honeywell CEO Dave Cote noted during the company’s earnings […]

Last week’s failed military coup against Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has reignited the public debate regarding the security and value of the U.S. tactical nuclear weapons widely accepted to be deployed in the NATO state. Any corresponding discussion happening within the Obama administration or Defense Department, though, is being kept behind closed doors. “Turkey […]

Funding will not be a problem in the Obama administration’s plan to field a new Long-Range Standoff (LRSO) nuclear cruise missile, Lt. Gen. Jack Weinstein, Air Force deputy chief of staff for strategic deterrence and nuclear integration, said Thursday. President Barack Obama’s fiscal 2017 budget funds all of the Air Force’s nuclear modernization programs, including […]

A group of Democratic Party senators on Wednesday urged President Barack Obama to take several steps in the final months of his presidency to reduce the risk of inadvertent nuclear war and to limit nuclear weapons spending. The letter was signed by Sens. Ed Markey (Mass.), Dianne Feinstein (Calif.), Al Franken (Minn.), Barbara Boxer (Calif.), Jeff […]

Consolidated Nuclear Security (CNS) is seeking expressions of interest from entities that can convert enriched lithium chloride and enriched lithium hydride to lithium metal for the Y-12 National Security Complex in Tennessee, according to a notice posted last week. Lithium is used for the manufacture of nuclear weapons components; the National Nuclear Security Administration’s (NNSA) […]

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) should implement stronger controls for all categories of radioactive material for which it grants licenses, including the least dangerous category that currently falls outside of the same level of scrutiny, according to a July 15 Government Accountability Office (GAO) report. The GAO conducted undercover tests through which it established three […]

The finalized Republican Party Platform unveiled this week calls for modernization of the U.S. nuclear arsenal, criticizes the Obama administration’s disarmament and arms control initiatives, and indicates the United States will confront “Russian belligerence” while promoting a partnership between the two countries on common concerns such as nuclear nonproliferation. The platform was released to coincide with […]

Lockheed Martin Corp. on Tuesday announced net sales of $12.9 billion and net earnings of $1 billion for the second quarter of 2016. Net sales increased from $11.6 billion in the same quarter of last year, while net earnings rose from $929 million in that same time period. Lockheed Martin subsidiary Sandia Corp. is the […]

The Y-12 National Security Complex must ramp up maintenance at its existing uranium operations facilities to meet mission needs until new plants, including the Uranium Processing Facility (UPF), are available, the Department of Energy Inspector General’s Office (IG) found in a report released Tuesday. Y-12’s enriched uranium processing operations are housed in the aging 9212 […]

Top U.S. defense and energy officials testified Thursday in support of current U.S. nuclear modernization priorities and dismissed rumors that President Barack Obama plans to take nonproliferation steps in the final months of his presidency that have not been agreed upon in Congress. Responding to questions about these rumors, witnesses at a House Armed Services […]

Responses to the National Nuclear Security Administration’s (NNSA) request for proposals for the Sandia National Laboratories management and operations contract were due Wednesday. The agency did not offer information about the proposals – particularly the names of the bidding companies and the number of bids received – but said it expects to make a selection by the […]

Both the Senate and House have passed motions to go to conference on the fiscal 2017 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) through a committee that will work to reconcile the two chambers’ versions of the bill. A Senate aide said Thursday conference has begun, though lawmakers this week also began a seven-week summer recess. The […]

Members of Congress and former U.S. officials continue to disagree over the necessity to field a new nuclear-armed cruise missile, the Long-Range Stand-Off (LRSO) weapon, and cited Wednesday the Russian nuclear modernization program as a factor complicating U.S. strategic deterrent needs. Subcommittee member Sen. John Hoeven (R-N.D.) spoke at a Senate Appropriations Energy and Water […]

The Savannah River Site’s potential acceptance of German spent nuclear fuel faced another discussion and vote on Tuesday. The Nuclear Materials Committee of the SRS Citizens Advisory Board (CAB) decided the issue should go before the full CAB later this month, with five members in favor of the move, three in opposition, and one abstention. The […]

The Department of Energy has completed the purchase of 32 tons of heavy water from Iran for approximately $8.6 million, sparking a renewed congressional push to block similar future deals. The purchase is part of the United States’ effort to help Iran meet its commitments under the newly implemented multilateral nuclear deal. Heavy water, used […]

The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) is seeking potential providers capable of offering technical support on data for infrastructure cost and construction and maintenance estimates, according to a sources sought notice posted last week. The notice said NNSA is interested in businesses with experience in providing building construction and sustainment cost data; developing federal infrastructure […]

The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) has formally amended its approach to meeting enriched uranium requirements at the Y-12 National Security Complex in Tennessee by upgrading some existing enriched uranium processing facilities and constructing a multi-building Uranium Processing Facility (UPF). An amended record of decision published Tuesday represents the final step in the process to […]

Department of Energy (DOE) representatives briefed House Armed Services Committee staffers Thursday on a study of comparative pensions and cost-of-living increases given to retired workers from DOE facilities, according to the Savannah River Site Retirees Association (SRSRA). The SRSRA said in an issue summary statement ahead of the meeting that this briefing follows two years of […]