Publications: Nuclear Security & Deterrence Monitor

Brian Bradley NS&D Monitor 7/10/2015 The Air Force and National Nuclear Security Administration completed the first development flight test of the B61-12 gravity bomb at Tonopah Test Range in Nevada on July 1, according to a July 8 NNSA press release. “This test marks a major milestone for the B61-12 Life Extension Program, demonstrating end-to-end […]

Alissa Tabirian NS&D Monitor 7/10/2015 Sandia National Laboratories’ role in nuclear modernization has contributed to the retention of a younger technical workforce, according to Paul Hommert, outgoing president and director of SNL. Speaking to NS&D Monitor July 8 on Capitol Hill, Hommert noted the “continuing challenge” to “attract and retain good people” with the necessary […]

Brian Bradley NS&D Monitor 7/10/2015 The National Nuclear Security Administration has not decided on a path forward for the third phase of Los Alamos National Laboratory’s Plutonium Facility Reinvestment Project—referred to as TA-55—after a decision was expected by July 5. “The NNSA continues to evaluate options for the TA-55 Reinvestment Project Phase III (TRP III); […]

Brian Bradley NS&D Monitor 7/10/2015 The U.S. currently deploys 449 intercontinental ballistic missiles, 248 submarine-launched ballistic missiles, and 88 heavy nuclear-capable bombers, according to a New START fact sheet recently released by the State Department. The document released July 1 lists the quantity of nuclear warheads for each category of deployed and non-deployed U.S. nuclear […]

Brian Bradley NS&D Monitor 7/10/2015 Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.), Chair of the House Armed Services Strategic Forces Subcommittee, during a speech Wednesday on Capitol Hill said he is “confident” that Congress will support nuclear modernization even if it crowds out other planned defense investments. “Our recent HASC hearing made clear that DoD will fund the nuclear modernization […]

Brian Bradley NS&D Monitor 7/10/2015 Russia’s status as a nuclear power contributes to it being the greatest threat to U.S. national security, Marine Gen. Joseph Dunford told senators yesterday during his Senate Armed Service Committee’s confirmation hearing to become the next Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) asked Dunford, currently […]

Alissa Tabirian NS&D Monitor 7/10/2015 The Babcock & Wilcox company split went into effect last week, separating the newly named BWX Technologies from the power generation spin-off Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises, the two companies announced. BWXT began trading under its new ticker symbol on the New York Stock Exchange, the announcement says. John Fees, executive […]

Alissa Tabirian NS&D Monitor 7/10/2015 The Army Corps of Engineers has awarded a $5.89 million contract to Emerald-A&H Joint Venture for site infrastructure and services at the Y-12 National Security Complex’s Uranium Processing Facility (UPF), according to last month’s award announcement. The “field readiness activities” to be performed by the contractor include the development of […]

Alissa Tabirian NS&D Monitor 7/10/2015 Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) and National Security Technologies (NSTec) effectively managed the subcritical experiments they performed at the Nevada National Security Site’s (NNSS) U1a Complex, according to a June 26 audit report by the Department of Energy’s Office of Inspector General. “Nothing came to our attention to indicate that […]

Brian Bradley NS&D Monitor 7/10/2015 The National Nuclear Security Administration recently released a draft environmental assessment for a proposed new 17,000-square-foot emergency operations center (EOC) at Y-12 that would consolidate the Plant Shift Superintendent’s Office, the Emergency Command Center, the Technical Support Center, and the Fire Department Control Room from their present locations to a […]

Brian Bradley NS&D Monitor 7/10/2015 Navy Strategic Systems Programs has awarded Lockheed Martin Space Systems a $27.5 million sole-source, unpriced-letter contract for long lead material and the “labor, planning and scheduling necessary” to sustain the Fiscal Year 2015 Trident 2 production schedule, the Defense Department announced on July 6. Work is expected to complete by […]

Lance Moore NS&D Monitor 7/10/2015 Russia is undergoing a full-scale process of rearmament and a costly modernization of strategic and non-strategic nuclear weapons programs, lagging behind the pace of U.S. modernization programs, according to a panel of nuclear experts, who in Washington yesterday said the slower pace discredits Putin’s recent nuclear posturing. The experts downplayed […]

Labor contract at Y-12 extended again With union contract negotiations apparently still unresolved at the Pantex nuclear weapons plant, the start of contract talks at Y-12 has once again been postponed so that Consolidated Nuclear Security – the government’s managing contractor at both production sites – can focus its attention at the Texas plant. Steve […]

Brian Bradley NS&D Monitor 6/19/2015 Despite recently expressed industry concerns, the Air Force this week maintained that it is continuing its stated course of action of analyzing the business case for re-engining the B-52, with a hopeful RFP release for the planned program by the end of this summer, a service spokesperson told NS&D Monitor […]

IN DOE The Department of Energy’s Integrated Support Center-Oak Ridge has awarded Black Box Corporation $33.4 million for “operations, maintenance and upgrades to the Oak Ridge Federal Integrated Communications Network,” the company announced this week. The Pennsylvania-based company will provide integrated telecommunications support for sites that include Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the Y-12 Security […]

DNFSB Reports Reveal Issues with Oak Ridge Conduct of Operations A series of reports released by the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board have documented the Oak Ridge plant’s problems in carrying out work procedures and mission protocols this year. For the week ending May 15, the board’s Y-12 site representatives — William Linzau and Rory […]

Alissa Tabirian  NS&D Monitor  6/26/2015 A key Air Force general yesterday rejected the charge that there are morale problems in the nuclear forces despite numerous cheating and misconduct problems exposed in recent years. In testimony before the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, Maj. Gen. Jack Weinstein, 20th Air Force commander, acknowledged “huge” […]

As is our annual practice, NS&D Monitor will not publish next week in observance of the July 4th holiday. The next regular issue will be in your inbox July 10. The Weapons Complex Morning Briefing will continue to be published Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, and we will issue bulletins should any major news break in the interim.

Brian Bradley  NS&D Monitor  6/26/2015 If existing nuclear forces are not modernized, the U.S. will lose its existing deterrent capabilities in the 2020s and 2030s, the Pentagon’s No. 2 official said Thursday. “The choice that we’re facing quite frankly…is not [between] keeping the existing force or modernizing the force,” Deputy Defense Secretary Bob Work said Thursday […]

Alissa Tabirian NS&D Monitor 6/26/2015 The United States must ramp up spending on defense and nuclear weapons modernization to maintain technological superiority and counter increases in Russia’s defense budget and modernization efforts, according to Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-Tex.), chairman of the House Armed Services Committee (HASC). “They continue to crank out new nuclear warheads and […]

Alissa Tabirian NS&D Monitor 6/26/2015 The modernization of U.S. nuclear forces will require an increase in defense spending that surpasses Budget Control Act limits but will drop to current levels after the execution of certain modernization programs, according to a report preview released this week by the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments. The CSBA […]

Brian Bradley  NS&D Monitor  6/26/2015 The long-range strike bomber will eventually replace all B-1s, B-2s and B-52s after it comes online, a senior Air Force official said Thursday. “Eventually, it will replace—it will be ‘the’ long-range strike bomber for us at a point,” Maj. Gen. Richard Clark, commander of the 8th Air Force, said during […]

Brian Bradley NS&D Monitor 6/26/2015 Navy Strategic System Programs and the Air Force intercontinental ballistic missile community should determine exactly what aspects of commonality the services will integrate between the Trident 2 life extension and Ground-Based Strategic Deterrent development efforts “now,” Navy Vice Adm. Terry Benedict, Director of Navy Strategic Systems Programs, said during a […]

Brian Bradley NS&D Monitor 6/26/2015 Integrating a smaller, shorter-range cruise missile into the both land-based and carrier-based dual-capable F-35s could help the U.S. offset a low global “nuclear threshold” inadvertently caused by U.S. conventional weapons superiority, according to a nuclear strategy and posture report released June 22 by the Center for Strategic and International Studies […]

Brian Bradley  NS&D Monitor  6/26/2015 Navy Strategic Systems Programs (SSP) on Wednesday announced it plans to award Charles Stark Draper Laboratories a sole-source special project alteration contract to provide the “effort and oversight” to procure the Trident 2 Life Extension production materials, according to a notice posted on Fed Biz Opps. Draper is the prime […]

Alissa Tabirian NS&D Monitor 6/26/2015 Sandia National Laboratories has selected Jill Hruby as its next president and director, the lab announced yesterday. Hruby, whose predecessor Paul Hommert is set to retire next month, will begin in her new position on July 17 following 32 years of technical and managerial work at the lab, according to […]

Y-12’s Continues to Experience Conduct of Operations Issues NS&D Monitor 6/19/2015 Conduct of operations has been a repeated and ongoing concern at the Y-12 National Security Complex and it appears that situation improved in recent months, based on numerous reports by staff of the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board assigned to the Oak Ridge plant. […]

Brian Bradley NS&D Monitor 6/19/2015 U.S. Strategic Command (STRATCOM) hopes to advance the installation of its replacement for the Milstar satellite constellation, as reliability problems of the nuclear-survivable legacy system have slowed the follow-on’s procurement timeline, and as a Government Accountability Office report released this week revealed “known capability gaps” and deficiencies in the nation’s […]

Kenneth Fletcher NS&D Monitor 6/19/2015 A sufficient level of funding for the Mixed Oxide Fuel Fabrication Facility project would top $1 billion per year, Department of Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz told South Carolina media this week. The Administration has emphasized increased costs in the MOX project since it first attempted to suspend the program in […]