Publications: Nuclear Security & Deterrence Monitor

The New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) last week approved the Department of Energy’s request extending how long the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) can hold certain drums of transuranic waste in temporary storage areas pending underground disposal. Meanwhile, the comment period on a separate WIPP issue, where the state of New Mexico is seeking to […]

A Department of Energy-funded initiative involving Y-12 National Security Complex, Nevada National Security Site and Kansas City National Security Campus aims to create a new pathway for transferring niche technologies to smaller businesses that can support national security missions. The two-year project, known as Bolstering Underutilized Industry by Leveraging Technology Transfer, or BUILTT, is funded […]

Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB) inspectors at Los Alamos National Laboratory raised concerns about staffing levels at the lab’s field office, warning that federal oversight might not keep pace with the site’s growing workload. According to a recent resident inspector report, the National Nuclear Security Administration’s (NNSA) Los Alamos, N.M. Field Office is operating […]

Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico is seeking commercial partners for a patented fire mitigation technology designed to improve safety in advanced heat-pipe nuclear reactors, according to a recent technology licensing notice. Responses are due Dec. 19, 2026, according to the Department of Energy’s June 19 notice. The technology is intended to address one […]

The Department of Energy has approved a move to streamline U.S. civil nuclear exports to Thailand, easing regulatory requirements for American companies seeking to engage in nuclear energy projects in the country. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright signed a determination adding Thailand to the list of destinations eligible for “generally authorized” transfers of unclassified civil […]

The Virginia-class submarine USS Colorado (SSN-788) completed its scheduled maintenance period at the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility on June 10, 29 days ahead of schedule.  The Navy said in a statement the early completion was due to a close partnership and clear communication between the shipyard and ship’s crew.  “Colorado’s success […]

The Air Force and Army Corps of Engineers broke ground May 28th at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Mont., on a construction project for the future Northrop Grumman LGM-35A Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). The project is a $26 million Commercial Entrance Control Facility (CECF) – the so-called “Gateway to Sentinel” – which, once built in […]

The longtime head of the U.S. Space Force’s rapid acquisition office is leaving to take a senior role at the Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center, according to a June 18 press release. Kelly Hammett, director of the Space Rapid Capabilities Office since its creation, will depart the organization this summer after helping establish it as […]

The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) unveiled a new artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled flight test vehicle the agency says demonstrates the ability to accelerate the development of national security technologies. NNSA said in a June 24 press release its proof-of-concept vehicle, dubbed Aires Tide, was developed using AI, high-performance computing and additive manufacturing techniques to move […]

Eleven candidates, including multiple Republicans have filed paperwork with Washington state election officials to compete in an Aug. 4 primary to help select a successor to incumbent Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.) in the state’s 4th congressional district. The Central Washington district, with a history of supporting Republicans, includes the Department of Energy’s Hanford Site. Newhouse, […]

Former senior National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) official Frank Rose said in a podcast the agency may require structural reforms to meet mounting mission demands. Formerly NNSA’s principal deputy administrator during the Joe Biden era, Rose’s public comments on the nuclear enterprise are some of his most detailed since his 2024 departure amid legal disputes […]

Underground operations at the Department of Energy’s Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in New Mexico are being suspended until probably mid-August, DOE told the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) this week. WIPP, the nation’s only deep disposal site for defense-related transuranic (TRU) waste, is pausing underground emplacement while it repairs a pair of hoists. In […]

Transuranic (TRU) waste shipments to the Department of Energy’s Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) near Carlsbad, N.M. were cut short in May, after issues with both of the facility’s hoists led to a temporary shutdown. Prior to the shutdown, WIPP received 23 TRU waste shipments in May, according to the facility’s receipt database. By comparison, […]

Senators from both parties are pressing the Donald Trump administration to submit any future agreement with Iran, and any provisions addressing Tehran’s nuclear program, for congressional review. Lawmakers returned to Washington this week seeking details about a preliminary memorandum of understanding between the United States and Iran that Trump said would help end hostilities and […]

The National Nuclear Security Administration’s (NNSA) top weapons official said the nuclear security enterprise must embrace modern manufacturing and digital technologies to accelerate development and production of future weapons capabilities, while warning that budget constraints could threaten those efforts. Speaking Wednesday at a webinar by the Energy Facility Contractors Group to industry and enterprise stakeholders, […]

Efforts to reduce administrative burdens and streamline operations at Los Alamos National Laboratory’s PF-4 plutonium facility have increased the amount of time the facility is available for production work, according to Mark Davis, deputy laboratory director for operations. Speaking Wednesday at a webinar by the Energy Facility Contractors Group about workplace efficiency initiatives, Davis said […]

Rep. Chuck Fleischmann (R-Tenn.) expects the full House of Representatives to take up the fiscal 2027 Energy & Water Development appropriations bill next week. “We will go to the floor next week.” Fleischmann told the annual meeting of the Energy Facility Contractors Group (EFCOG) Wednesday in Washington, D.C. The lawmaker, whose district adjoins the Department […]

The Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) released its version of the fiscal 2027 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which would authorize $32.31 billion in spending for the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). SASC marked up its version of the must-pass defense policy bill last week, and it has advanced to the Senate floor now. The […]

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California has entered production for the Lynx supercomputing cluster, a new high-performance computing system designed to support nuclear weapons simulations and other key national security workloads. The system is part of the National Nuclear Security Administration’s (NNSA) Commodity Technology Systems-2 program, an effort to provide advanced computing resources across the […]

The United States and Iran reached a deal to end the U.S. military campaign in Iran and open the Strait of Hormuz, according to Pakistan’s prime minister, but the questions still remain on Iran’s nuclear program.  Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, a mediator between the two parties, told media outlets over the weekend that both […]

Global spending on nuclear weapons reached a record $118.8 billion in 2025, driven largely by increased U.S. investments in nuclear modernization programs, according to a report by the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN). The report released this week estimates the United States spent $69.2 billion on nuclear weapons activities last year, accounting for […]

The U.S. Navy has started early work to establish a new naval support activity (NSA) in Perth, Western Australia, as of May 30 as part of the AUKUS trilateral partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States. The Navy said NSA Stirling is due to provide support services and programs for service members, […]

The Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant was reconnected to external power June 13 after repairs to a damaged backup transmission line were completed under a localized ceasefire brokered by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the agency said on X. The plant lost connection to its 330-kilovolt Ferosplavna backup power line late June 11 due to […]

The Senate Armed Services Committee’s (SASC) fiscal 2027 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) would authorize over $41 billion for Department of Energy national security programs while advancing provisions tied to nuclear weapons programs. SASC has been marking up its version of the defense policy bill in closed hearings this week, and on Thursday released the […]

Defense materials company ATI announced Thursday it has signed a new five-year strategic material supply agreement with nuclear fuel company BWX Technologies (BWXT), extending a long-standing partnership supporting the U.S. Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program through fiscal 2030.  The agreement is intended to ensure a steady supply of specialty materials used in reactor systems for the […]

The House Appropriations Defense subcommittee (HAC-D) Thursday advanced its $1.07 trillion defense spending bill for fiscal 2027, which funds nuclear-related programs at the Pentagon such as the nuclear triad and the delivery systems that carry nuclear warheads. The bill, which aligns with the Donald Trump administration’s requested discretionary spending level, will be marked up by […]

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Legislation to accelerate licensing for domestic uranium enrichment is critical in building nuclear reactors at scale, panelists told the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Energy subcommittee Tuesday. During the House subcommittee hearing, the panelists discussed and reviewed six proposed pieces of nuclear energy-related legislation that subcommittee members said are aimed to further […]

Los Alamos National Laboratory updated its sitewide seismic hazard analysis and is expected to influence future facility design, safety-basis evaluations and infrastructure projects supporting the National Nuclear Security Administration’s (NNSA) nuclear weapons mission. According to a Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB) report from May 22, the updated probabilistic seismic hazard analysis was recently approved […]