Publications: Nuclear Security & Deterrence Monitor

The Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) announced plans Thursday for two new supercomputers at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico. The Mission and Vision supercomputers will be built by Hewlett Packard Enterprise and powered by the NVIDIA Vera Rubin platform, NNSA said in a press release.  The Mission and Vision […]

After two days of debate, the House’s version of the 2027 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) passed the House floor mainly on party lines at 216-212. The defense policy bill, which also sets spending caps for the appropriations bills, would authorize $32.76 billion in funding for the Department of Energy’s semi-autonomous National Nuclear Security Administration […]

The city of Oak Ridge, Tenn. is still looking for a replacement site for a municipal airport after the original location was tapped for nuclear industry expansion, City Manager Randy Hemann told Exchange Monitor Thursday. In an emailed statement with the Monitor, Hemann said the city is still engaged in considering alternate sites that “meet […]

A new opinion article published Tuesday on the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists website argued that concerns over plutonium contained in spent fuel from Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant remain unresolved after attacks on the plant.  A Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists commentary discussed how to manage plutonium produced at Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant, […]

Security Administration (NNSA) to negotiate a lease for a data center at the Savannah River Site in South Carolina, the organizations said Monday. NNSA picked Amentum to enter into “phased” lease negotiations for a data center and accompanying on-site generation, NNSA and Chantilly, Va-based Amentum said in a July 20 press release. NNSA said it […]

For now at least, the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB) has suspended publication of many of the congressional watchdog’s routine reports on safety and operations at Department of Energy nuclear sites.   “The DNFSB is not currently posting technical documents, such as resident inspector weekly, site monthly and other technical reports, while the board works […]

WASHINGTON – As the Genesis Mission Summit kicked off here Wednesday, the Department of Energy announced its selection of 278 projects under the Genesis Mission request for applications (RFAs). The Genesis Mission, established through President Donald Trump’s November 2025 executive order, aims to bring use of artificial intelligence (AI) into DOE’s operations and real-life applications. […]

The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) has removed the last high-risk cesium-137 source from North Dakota, making it the 14th U.S. state or territory to eliminate high-risk quantities of the radioactive material. The Department of Energy’s semiautonomous agency announced the milestone Wednesday, describing it as part of its broader effort to reduce the risk that […]

WASHINGTON — The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) will pair shared artificial intelligence infrastructure with mission-focused research challenges under the Department of Energy’s Genesis initiative, according to DOE Undersecretary of Science Dario Gil. Gil, speaking to Exchange Monitor on the sidelines of Wednesday’s Genesis Mission summit in Washington, described NNSA as a “core element” of […]

Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) has made Michael DeBernardis vice president and chief counsel of its Mission Technologies division to oversee legal strategy for the defense contractor’s fast-growing national security business. HII announced Tuesday that DeBernardis will advise senior management and oversee the delivery of legal services across the business in his new role. Mission Technologies […]

The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) has determined that construction and operation of a new East End Campus at the Y-12 National Security Complex will not significantly affect the quality of the human environment. This finding clears the way for the project to move forward without preparing a full environmental impact statement. NNSA issued a […]

Northrop Grumman said this week that it is adding hundreds of jobs to the 5,000 the company now has working on the LGM-35A Sentinel future intercontinental ballistic missile. A ground breaking ceremony was recently held for a new building at the Roy Innovation Center (RIC) in Utah, according to a Northrop Grumman press release Tuesday. […]

According to UCS, the document is an unclassified summary of a recent JASON study – a publicity-averse scientific advisory board for the U.S. military – examining the aging of plutonium in the U.S. nuclear stockpile. The organization said the summary was marked unclassified but was nevertheless entirely redacted by NNSA before being released under FOIA. […]

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) urged the Department of Energy and the National Nuclear Security Administration to establish measurable goals for project management reforms, warning streamlining oversight could reduce confidence in project performance without clear success metrics. A GAO report released Thursday examined DOE’s implementation of a March 2025 memorandum directing changes to an agency […]

The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) has authorized startup of the Calciner Project at Y-12 National Security Complex, adding another modernized uranium processing capability. The calciner converts uranium-bearing liquid solutions from pipes and process equipment into a stable solid form for storage, allowing radioactive material to be removed from legacy facilities and supporting the eventual […]

A project baseline that includes costs and timelines for the Savannah River Plutonium Processing Facility’s (SRPPF) main building was submitted for federal review in January, with no projections for when it might be acted upon.  While awaiting approval, Fluor-led Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS), the management contractor at the 310-square-mile Savannah River Site in Aiken, […]

While there is a “remote” chance the full House of Representatives could vote on the fiscal 2027 Energy & Water Appropriations bill next week, it is more likely that the measure won’t be taken up until September, a key House Appropriator said Wednesday. Rep. Chuck Fleischmann (R-Tenn) who chairs the House Appropriations Energy & Water […]

The Department of Energy is still being very tight-fisted when it comes to sharing information with the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board, DNFSB said in a recent letter to Congress. In addition, the congressionally-created safety watchdog said in its July 10 letter that DOE is not living up to the terms of a  2022 memorandum […]

A new study by Princeton University researchers argues that the National Nuclear Security Administration’s analysis underestimates the geographic and health impacts of any potential severe plutonium fire at pit production facilities. The peer-reviewed study, published in Science & Global Security, examines hypothetical plutonium fire scenarios at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico and the […]

A Government Accountability Office (GAO) report released Wednesday found the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) has not fully assessed the workforce and programmatic resources needed to support planned investments in the scientific infrastructure underpinning U.S. stockpile stewardship. The report recommends that NNSA conduct a comprehensive assessment of its long-term science, technology and engineering workforce and […]

Mission Support and Test Services (MSTS), prime contractor for the National Nuclear Security Administration’s (NNSA) Nevada National Security Site (NNSS), issued a request for information and expression of interest to help develop procurement strategy for fire suppression system services. The pre-solicitation notice seeks industry feedback to help shape a future contract supporting the full life […]

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Energy and Water subcommittee who oversees Savannah River Site in his state, died suddenly Saturday, Graham’s office said Sunday. “On the evening of Saturday, July 11, U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham passed away from a brief and sudden illness,” Graham’s office said in a statement early […]

The Town of Taos, N.M. last month approved a resolution opposing the National Nuclear Security Administration’s (NNSA) plans to expand plutonium pit production at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), calling for further environmental review. Resolution 26-37, adopted June 9, cites a Feb. 11 NNSA Defense Programs memorandum, Responsive Today, Dominant Tomorrow: Enhancing American Nuclear Dominance, […]

The B-21 Raider will have two pilots instead of one pilot and a weapons systems officer (WSO), according to the Air Force, as the service creates a competitive pilot transition program for WSOs and combat systems officers (CSOs). The Air Force said in a July 9 press release the transition program would be for the […]

Centrus Energy will join the S&P SmallCap 600 Index before markets open July 14, a move the company said reflects its growing role in rebuilding the U.S. nuclear fuel supply chain and expanding domestic uranium enrichment capacity. “Our invitation into the S&P SmallCap 600 reflects the progress our team has made and the expanding role […]

On the Exchange Monitor homepage is a guest opinion editorial with in-depth analysis on public-private partnership in fusion research. “Guest Column: Former lab execs on fusion’s promise: Leveraging public-private Partnership for 21st century deterrence” by Paul Hommert, former director of Sandia National Laboratories, and Bob Webster, former deputy lab director at Los Alamos National Laboratory, […]

By Paul Hommert and Bob Webster In 1995, facing the end of nuclear testing and uncertain about our ability to maintain the nuclear deterrent without it, the United States made a bold bet.  The Science-Based Stockpile Stewardship Program[1] represented an audacious wager that advanced computing, sophisticated diagnostics, and world-class science could remove the need to […]