Publications: Nuclear Security & Deterrence Monitor

Alissa Tabirian NS&D Monitor 7/24/2015 Northrop Grumman demonstrated the ability to “rapidly integrate” subsystems onto the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber using Open Mission Systems (OMS)-compliant architecture in June at Edwards Air Force Base in California, the company announced this week. "This demonstration paves the way for the B-2 weapon system to provide new operational capability […]

Brian Bradley NS&D Monitor 7/24/2015 Effective Wednesday, Dr. Don Cook has retired from his position as deputy administrator for defense programs at the National Nuclear Security Administration, a position he served in for five years, the Department of Energy branch confirmed this week. “During his time as Deputy Administrator, Dr. Cook has led a number […]

IN NNSA Pantex/Y-12 contractor Consolidated Nuclear Security in March completed the first phase of implementing a pilot software program aimed to help National Nuclear Security Administration facility managers and maintenance managers decide how to best maintain building infrastructure, according to a Tuesday Y-12 press release. The first phase entailed CNS inputting data for mission critical […]

Alissa Tabirian NS&D Monitor 7/17/2015 The United States should unilaterally reduce its nuclear arsenal without fear of Russia’s nuclear modernization program, according to Greg Thielmann, Senior Fellow at the Arms Control Association. "I also disagree with those . . . who say we cannot now risk much deeper cuts in our current nuclear arsenals," Thielmann […]

Brian Bradley NS&D Monitor 7/17/2015 Ending the U.S. civil nuclear agreement with China would diminish Washington’s visibility into Beijing’s questionable nonproliferation practices, and could tempt other countries to fill the void created by the departure of American companies, two senior State Department officials told House lawmakers yesterday. France, Russia, Japan, and South Korea could capitalize […]

Brian Bradley NS&D Monitor 7/17/2015 [Eds. Note: NS&D Monitor originally published this story on July 10, following the email of last week’s issue. We have re-published the story in this week’s emailed issue, to make sure all of our subscribers have gotten the chance to read it.] Released on July 8, an independent review of […]

Alissa Tabirian NS&D Monitor 7/17/2015 The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) must pay closer attention to its management of Support Service Contracts (SSC) to avoid violating federal regulations that govern personal services contracts and inherently governmental functions, according to a special review released this week by the Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Inspector General (IG). The […]

Brian Bradley NS&D Monitor 7/17/2015 U.S. allies have “no confusion” that Russia remains in violation of the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, and the Obama administration has seen no indication that the Putin government plans to return to compliance, Jon Wolfsthal, National Security Council senior director for arms control and nonproliferation, said during a speech […]

Alissa Tabirian NS&D Monitor 7/17/2015 The relationship between the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) and the contractors managing its laboratories must be made stronger to benefit the U.S. nuclear modernization program, according to Thomas D’Agostino, former NNSA administrator. “In order to effectively modernize our infrastructure, we need to have a different type of relationship between […]

The following interview with Maj. Gen. Garrett Harencak, Air Force Assistant Chief of Staff for Strategic Deterrence and Nuclear Integration (A10), and Michael Shoults, Deputy Assistant Chief of Staff for Strategic Deterrence and Nuclear Integration, was conducted at the Pentagon by NS&D Monitor reporter Brian Bradley. Before the interview, Maj. Gen. Harencak told NS&D Monitor […]

Brian Bradley NS&D Monitor 7/17/2015 After the State Department this week expressed its opposition to Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Joseph Dunford’s statement to Congress last week that Russia is the greatest national security threat to the U.S., largely because of its nuclear capabilities, the nominee to be the next Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs […]

Alissa Tabirian NS&D Monitor 7/17/2015 Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) announced this week that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the University of Mexico (UNM) that will maintain the two institutions’ decades-long history of research partnerships. The pact establishes a "Strategic Alliance" at the university’s Centennial Engineering Center, the news release says. According to […]

Brian Bradley NS&D Monitor 7/17/2015 The Energy Department and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are seeking sources to determine the feasibility of building a 64,800-square-foot construction support facility at the Y-12 National Security Complex, estimated to cost between $10 million and $25 million and to require about 1 1/2 years to complete, according to an […]

Brian Bradley NS&D Monitor 7/17/2015 Nuclear capabilities would be one of three areas of “particular emphasis” for the nominee of the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff if he is confirmed, according to in testimony he submitted in advance of his Tuesday confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee. “If confirmed as […]

Brian Bradley NS&D Monitor 7/17/2015 Despite progress on global nuclear disarmament, there is little chance of a world without the bomb, Adm. William Gortney, commander of U.S. Northern Command and North American Aerospace Defense Command, said during a speech at the State Department on Wednesday. “The nuclear genie’s there, and until everybody wants to do […]

Alissa Tabirian NS&D Monitor 7/17/2015 Despite the end of U.S.-Russian Cooperative Threat Reduction (CTR) activities, nuclear security cooperation between the two countries remains strong and arms control initiatives must be jointly undertaken to be effective, Department of State officials said this week. The U.S.-Russian relationship framed several nuclear security discussions at the agency’s Generation Prague […]

Brian Bradley NS&D Monitor 7/17/2015 The Y-12 National Security Complex is exercising “energy savings performance contracts” (ESPCs) that include replacing dilapidated wooden cooling towers at the chiller plant with higher-efficiency towers, swapping existing steam lines with natural gas lines, and adding a new compressed air facility on the site’s east end, according to a July […]

Brian Bradley NS&D Monitor 7/17/2015 Centrus announced on July 10 that it has promoted Stephen Greene, Treasurer and Vice President of Finance, to CFO, Senior Vice President and Treasurer, effective July 24, according to a press release. Greene has served in his current posts since 2007. “Since joining the company, I have been impressed with […]

Y-12 Lithium Supply Could Run Dry, GAO Says The Y-12 National Security Complex could run out of the purified lithium needed to refurbish nuclear weapons components as early as 2018 if additional actions aren’t taken to replenish the supply of top-grade material, the GAO said in a report released Monday. The GAO report criticized the […]

The Navy has awarded Electric Boat a $9.8 million not-to-exceed, undefinitized contract modification for the procurement of the “first article” common missile compartment tube-to-keel robotic weld skids to the robotic welding integrator and engineering services for the Ohio-class Replacement (OR), the Defense Department announced on Wednesday. “The contractor will be procuring hardware relating to the […]

Alissa Tabirian NS&D Monitor 7/10/2015 Newly revealed emails between Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) and Lockheed Martin Corporation (LMC) highlight officials’ coordinated attempts to secure a noncompetitive extension of the Management and Operating (M&O) contract with the Department of Energy (DOE). Despite those attempts, DOE posted in May a “full and open competition” notice for the […]

Brian Bradley NS&D Monitor 7/10/2015 Pantex has resumed work on the B61 and W80 warhead programs after a “code blue” situation at the plant in early May sidelined operations on the programs for weeks, a Pantex spokesperson told NS&D Monitor this week. The NNSA Production Office (NPO) on June 1 issued two Safety Evaluation Reports […]

Brian Bradley NS&D Monitor 7/10/2015 The U.S. should modernize the Energy Department’s nuclear weapons complex to have a “full range of capabilities” to produce components for National Nuclear Security Administration life extension programs, Marine Gen. Joseph Dunford, President Barack Obama’s nominee to serve as the next Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, stated in […]

Brian Bradley NS&D Monitor 7/10/2015 Renewing the 30-year-old U.S.-China civil nuclear agreement would allow bilateral nuclear supply partnerships if China becomes a larger nuclear supplier, Tom Countryman, State Department Assistant Secretary of International Security and Nonproliferation, stated in Congressional testimony submitted on Wednesday. “These export opportunities could support tens of thousands of high-paying American jobs,” […]

Brian Bradley NS&D Monitor  7/10/2015 Released on Wednesday, an independent review of The Aerospace Corporation’s recent study of plutonium disposition options projects similar costs for the Mixed Oxide Fuel Fabrication Facility and a downblending alternative to dispose of surplus plutonium. The Nuclear Infrastructure Council posted the review, which essentially rejects Aerospace’s $47.5 billion life cycle cost […]

AT SAVANNAH RIVER On Thursday afternoon, S.C. Gov. Nikki Haley’s Nuclear Advisory Council played host to U.S. Energy Department official Pete Hanlon, the assistant deputy administrator for the National Nuclear Security Administration’s Office of Material Management and Minimization, according to the Aiken Standard. Hanlon spoke about a recent study that priced the nation’s plutonium disposition […]

Brian Bradley NS&D Monitor 7/10/2015 Beating out at least one other bidder, incumbent Honeywell Federal Manufacturing and Technologies has won the management and operations contract for the Kansas City National Security Campus, which will extend the contractor’s 15-plus-year tenure running the facility, according to a press release posted today by the National Nuclear Security Administration. […]

Pat Host NS&D Monitor 7/10/2015 The Air Force is about one-to-three months away from its decision on a contractor for its widely- anticipated Long Range Strike Bomber (LRSB) program, its acquisition czar said Thursday. Assistant Secretary of the Air Force William LaPlante defended the timing, saying it is more important that it gets started at […]