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CUWS Outreach Journal Issue 1313 Issue No. 1313 4 May 2018 // USAFCUWS Outreach Journal Issue 1313 // Feature Report “Energy and Water Development Appropriations: Nuclear Weapons Activities”. Written by Amy F. Woolf, published by the Congressional Research Service; April 18, 2018 https://fas.org/sgp/crs/nuke/R44442.pdf Summary The annual Energy and Water Development appropriations bill funds civil works projects of the Army Corps of Engineers, the Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Reclamation, the Department of Energy (DOE), and several independent agencies. The DOE budget includes funding for the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), a separately organized agency within DOE. NNSA operates three programs: Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation, which secures nuclear materials worldwide, conducts research and development (R&D) into nonproliferation and verification, and operates the Nuclear Counterterrorism and Incident Response Program; Naval Reactors, which “is responsible for all U.S. Navy nuclear propulsion work”; and Weapons Activities. The last is the subject of this report. The Weapons Activities account supports programs that maintain U.S. nuclear missile warheads and gravity bombs and the infrastructure programs that support that mission. Specifically, according to DOE’s budget documentation, these programs “support the maintenance and refurbishment of nuclear weapons to continue sustained confidence in their safety, reliability, and performance; continued investment in scientific, engineering, and manufacturing capabilities to enable certification of the enduring nuclear weapons stockpile; and manufacture of nuclear weapons components.” NNSA’s budget request for FY2019 seeks $11.02 billion for Weapons Activities within a total of budget of $15.09 billion for NNSA. This represents a 3.6% increase over the $10.642 billion for Weapons Activities in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 (P.L. 115-141) and a 19% increase over the $9.314 billion enacted for Weapons Activities in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017 (P.L. 115-31). The requested increase of 19% in funding for Weapons over the FY2017-enacted amount is within an increase of 16.7% over the FY2017 amount enacted for NNSA’s total budget. Weapons Activities has three main programs, each with a request of over $2 billion for FY2018, as follows: • Directed Stockpile Work supports programs that work directly on nuclear weapons. It includes life extension programs, maintenance, and other activities. The FY2017 appropriation was $3,308.3 million, and the FY2018 appropriation was $4,009 million; the FY2019 request is $4,666 million, an increase of 16% over the FY2018 appropriation. • Research, Development, Test and Evaluation Programs, which advance the science, engineering, computation, and manufacturing, support Directed Stockpile Work. The FY2017 appropriation was $1,842.2 million, and the FY2018 appropriation was $2,034 million; the FY2019 request is $1,995 million. twitter.com/USAF_CUWS | cuws.au.af.mil // 2 // USAFCUWS Outreach Journal Issue 1313 // • Infrastructure and Operations maintains, operates, and modernizes the National Nuclear Security Administration infrastructure. It supports construction of new facilities and funds deferred maintenance in older facilities. The FY2017 appropriation was $2,808.4 million, and the FY2018 appropriation was $3,118 million; the FY2019 request is $3,002 million. Weapons Activities also includes several smaller programs, all of which are described in this report: Secure Transportation Asset, Defense Nuclear Security, Information Technology and Cybersecurity, and Legacy Contractor Pensions. This report will be updated as necessary. twitter.com/USAF_CUWS | cuws.au.af.mil // 3 // USAFCUWS Outreach Journal Issue 1313 // TABLE OF CONTENTS US NUCLEAR WEAPONS • Air Force Advances Testing of New Nuclear Gravity Bomb: General • Pit Production Expansion Susceptible to Schedule Risks, DOE Report Says • Another Way to Define Nuclear Triad: Three Legs, Plus ‘Space Capability’ • Vandenberg Hosts Test Launch of Unarmed ICBM; Anti-nuclear Activists Take Issue • LANL Rolls Out Plan to Correct Pit Handling Errors US COUNTER-WMD • In Alaska, Soldiers Relish Role in U.S. Missile Defense • U.S. Spy Agencies Seek Tech to Identify Deadly Chemicals from 30 Meters Away US ARMS CONTROL • Kim Says He’d End North Korea Nuclear Pursuit for U.S. Truce • Nuclear Threat Initiative Highlights Separated Plutonium Security Risks • Pompeo: Trump Will Exit Iran Deal If It's Not Fixed • The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty at 50 • Obama Officials Defend Iran Deal as Trump Threatens to Blow It Up ASIA/PACIFIC • Leaders Commit to Build Resilient, Innovative ASEAN • Leaders of South Korea, Japan, China to Discuss North Korea EUROPE/RUSSIA • European Leaders and Others Push Back against Netanyahu's Criticism of The Iran Nuclear Deal MIDDLE EAST • Iran Leader: U.S. Pushes Riyadh to Confront Tehran, Stirs Crisis • US Calls for Global Action against Iran INDIA/PAKISTAN • India Using Chemical Weapons against Kashmiris: AJK PM • Pakistan Cosies Up to Russia, But Moscow Doesn’t Seem to Want to Take Sides COMMENTARY • A Real Missile Gap Is Looming In Hypersonic Weapons • Major Powers Starting to Deploy Hypersonic Weapons • Expect a Fight on The Iran Deal between America and Europe • How Much Do the Panmunjom Agreements Matter? • Can North Korea Really Give Up Its Nukes? twitter.com/USAF_CUWS | cuws.au.af.mil // 4 // USAFCUWS Outreach Journal Issue 1313 // US NUCLEAR WEAPONS Military.com (San Francisco, Calif.) Air Force Advances Testing of New Nuclear Gravity Bomb: General By Oriana Pawlyk May 1, 2018 The U.S. Air Force has conducted dozens of developmental flight tests of the B61-12 guided nuclear gravity bomb, intended to be three times more accurate than its predecessors, a top general said Tuesday. "We've already conducted 26 engineering, development and guided flight tests," said Lt. Gen. Jack Weinstein, deputy chief of staff for strategic deterrence and nuclear integration. "The program's doing extremely well." The B61-12 modification program, which has been in the works for at least seven years, is slated to be carried by the B-2 Spirit, as well as the future B-21 Long Range Strategic Bomber, known as the Raider. Weinstein did not say which platforms have done the latest testing, but the F-35 Lightning II joint program office has been working on integrating the latest modification into its weapons arsenal. It is slated to be fielded sometime in the 2020s. During his speech to an audience at an Air Force Association breakfast in Washington, D.C., Weinstein highlighted the progress the U.S. has been making in its nuclear force. The Pentagon's recent Nuclear Posture Review not only calls for more low-yield nuclear weapons but emphasizes the "crucial" need to modernize current standing weapons, such as the air-launched cruise missile and intercontinental ballistic missiles, as part of the nuclear triad. The triad consists of land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), strategic bombers, and submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs). Weinstein cited bombers such as the B-52 Stratofortress and B-2 Spirit, which are capable of launching both conventional or nuclear payloads, and also legacy fighters such as the F-16 Fighting Falcon and F-15E Strike Eagle. "When I say 'dual-capable aircraft,' I need to be really specific," he said. "Dual-capable aircraft is called the B-52 and B-2 -- it does conventional and nuclear. It also means F-16s and Strike Eagles, and other aircraft our NATO partners fly." The F-35 was designed with a requirement to carry a nuclear payload. In 2015, an F-35 flew with the B61-12 to measure its vibration in the aircraft's weapons bay. Both of the fourth-gen fighters will be able to deploy the B61-12 bomb. The B61-12 also conducted its third and final developmental test flight aboard an F-15E in 2015. LONG LIVE THE B-52 Weinstein added that re-engining the B-52 -- long on the Air Force's wish list, along with a new radar -- remains critical if the service intends to keep the venerable bomber flying into the 2050s. The Air Force requested roughly $1.5 billion in its fiscal 2019 budget to kick-start the re-engining effort. The program is expected to cost roughly $7 billion to $8 billion over its lifetime. twitter.com/USAF_CUWS | cuws.au.af.mil // 5 // USAFCUWS Outreach Journal Issue 1313 // "Every time you renovate a house, you don't realize there's asbestos behind the wall," Weinstein said, referring to problems that may develop as the service renovates the Cold War-era bomber. "We've been talking about re-engining the B-52 for a long time," he said, adding that he's received reassurance from Dr. Will Roper, Air Force undersecretary for acquisitions, technology and logistics, that the re-engining program will continue with proper supervision. "Am I going to sit here and say we're not going to have a problem with the re-engining? I'm not going to say that," Weinstein said. "I will tell you an awful lot of work has gone into evaluating how to re-engine, what is the best way to do it, why we [decided] not to do a [service] life extension program on [a] really old engine ... so the work that has been upfront. It's going to take ... constant oversight as we go through the process." Overall, he added, nuclear modernization is well on its way to becoming more manageable and survivable -- as long as budgets remain consistent. "I'd like to say I want [things] faster and cheaper," Weinstein said, referring not only to weapons currently in production such as the Long Range Standoff Weapon, but also communication and control systems. He said current funding in the fiscal 2018 National Defense Authorization Act for the nuclear enterprise remains "healthy" for what the force needs. "Overall, I'm really pleased with the support we're getting from the Hill," Weinstein said. "That budget, it was a pretty good-sized chunk" for nuclear weapons and systems.
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