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Stockpile Stewardship and Management Plan – Biennial Plan Summary Report to Congress

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Stockpile Stewardship and Management Plan – Biennial Plan Summary Report to Congress Fiscal Year 2019 Stockpile Stewardship and Management Plan – Biennial Plan Summary Report to Congress October 2018 National Nuclear Security Administration United States Department of Energy Washington, DC 20585 Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration | October 2018 Message from the Administrator The Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration’s (DOE/NNSA) Fiscal Year 2019 Stockpile Stewardship and Management Plan – Biennial Plan Summary (SSMP) describes DOE/NNSA’s plans to ensure the safety, security, and effectiveness of the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile and to maintain the scientific and engineering tools, capabilities, and infrastructure that underpin the nuclear security enterprise. The SSMP is a companion to the Prevent, Counter, and Respond: A Strategic Plan to Reduce Global Nuclear Threats report, which outlines NNSA’s equally vital missions to reduce the threats of nuclear proliferation and nuclear terrorism. In keeping with our commitment to Congress, updated versions of these reports are published each year. The fiscal year (FY) 2019 SSMP summarizes the activities being performed within DOE/NNSA’s national laboratories, production facilities, and security site in support of our enduring national security missions. In particular, this report describes the path to completing production of W76-1 warheads by FY 2019; delivering the first production unit of the B61-12 gravity bomb by FY 2020; delivering the first production unit of the W88 Alteration 370 by FY 2020; and achieving a first production unit of the W80-4 warhead by FY 2025. With four modernization programs underway, NNSA is at its busiest since the Cold War era. The FY 2019 SSMP also reflects DOE/NNSA’s increased commitment to revitalizing and reinvigorating the facilities and corresponding infrastructure that make up the nuclear security enterprise. DOE/NNSA infrastructure has long been underfunded and overdue for the upgrades necessary to create a modern, efficient, nuclear complex that can meet NNSA’s national security missions today and into the future. With the assistance and support of Congress, NNSA will be able to continue to halt the growth of deferred maintenance and modernize the nuclear security enterprise. As expressly stated in the Nuclear Posture Review (DOD 2018), there is no margin for further delay in the sustainment of a modern, resilient, and responsive infrastructure for the enterprise. Continued investment in the repair and recapitalization of DOE/NNSA’s laboratories, production facilities, and security site are crucial to NNSA’s capabilities and most importantly, to our workforce. NNSA’s workforce is our greatest asset, and providing quality facilities is necessary to recruit and retain the world- class scientific and engineering talent on which our nuclear deterrent, and indeed the security of the United States, so greatly depends. In addition to summarizing the achievements and status of the current program of record, the FY 2019 SSMP describes the work that NNSA will execute in support of the Nuclear Posture Review, which addresses worsening global threat conditions and underscores the need for a modern, flexible, and resilient nuclear enterprise. DOE/NNSA’s program of record for maintaining the nuclear weapons stockpile is being updated in coordination with the Nuclear Weapons Council and the interagency process that weighs and prioritizes missions and resources. The challenges facing our Nation are real and pressing. The unprecedented range and mix of threats underscore the need for the United States to maintain a diverse set of nuclear capabilities that can provide flexible, tailored options to enhance deterrence and to achieve objectives should deterrence fail. As described in this report, the scientific and technological expertise found at DOE/NNSA’s laboratories, production facilities, and other sites is the intellectual backbone through which the United States can continue to deter adversarial aggression and preserve peace for our Nation and our allies. Fiscal Year 2019 Stockpile Stewardship and Management Plan – Biennial Plan Summary | Page i October 2018 | Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration Pursuant to the statutory requirements, this FY 2019 SSMP is being provided to the following members of Congress: The Honorable Richard Shelby Chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriations The Honorable Patrick Leahy Vice Chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriations The Honorable James Inhofe Chairman, Senate Committee on Armed Services The Honorable Jack Reed Ranking Member, Senate Committee on Armed Services The Honorable Lamar Alexander Chairman, Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development Senate Committee on Appropriations The Honorable Dianne Feinstein Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development Senate Committee on Appropriations The Honorable Deb Fischer Chairman, Subcommittee on Strategic Forces Senate Committee on Armed Services The Honorable Joe Donnelly Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Strategic Forces Senate Committee on Armed Services The Honorable Rodney Frelinghuysen Chairman, House Committee on Appropriations The Honorable Nita M. Lowey Ranking Member, House Committee on Appropriations The Honorable Mac Thornberry Chairman, House Committee on Armed Services The Honorable Adam Smith Ranking Member, House Committee on Armed Services The Honorable Mike Simpson Chairman, Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, and Related Agencies House Committee on Appropriations The Honorable Marcy Kaptur Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, and Related Agencies House Committee on Appropriations Page ii | Fiscal Year 2019 Stockpile Stewardship and Management Plan – Biennial Plan Summary Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration | October 2018 The Honorable Mike Rogers Chairman, Subcommittee on Strategic Forces House Committee on Armed Services The Honorable Jim Cooper Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Strategic Forces House Committee on Armed Services If you have any questions or need additional information, please contact me or Nora Khalil, Associate Administrator for External Affairs, at (202) 586-7332. Sincerely, Fiscal Year 2019 Stockpile Stewardship and Management Plan – Biennial Plan Summary | Page iii October 2018 | Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration This page left blank intentionally Page iv | Fiscal Year 2019 Stockpile Stewardship and Management Plan – Biennial Plan Summary Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration | October 2018 Message from the Secretary National security is a fundamental mission of the Department of Energy (DOE). Maintaining a safe, secure, and effective U.S. nuclear stockpile consistent with the President’s 2018 Nuclear Posture Review is chiefly performed through the work of DOE’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA). This mission accounts for more than a third of the Department’s discretionary budget. It comprises the developments made at the national security laboratories in science-based stockpile stewardship, advanced manufacturing, laser science and optics, high performance computing, and many other areas of benefit to DOE as well as other departments and agencies throughout the Government and our Nation. The recently released Nuclear Posture Review (DOD 2018) addresses the dynamic nature of today’s threat environment and the implications for our Nation’s nuclear security mission. A safe, secure, and effective nuclear deterrent remains an essential element of our Nation’s defense, both to deter attacks and to protect our interests and those of our allies. DOE/NNSA will work in close partnership with the Department of Defense (DOD) to provide additional diversity in the attributes and flexibility of our deterrence options, as directed in the Nuclear Posture Review. This year’s Fiscal Year 2019 Stockpile Stewardship and Management Plan – Biennial Plan Summary (SSMP) outlines the groundwork to support these objectives. Future editions of the SSMP will continue to document plans and progress. The science-based Stockpile Stewardship Program has allowed DOE and DOD to certify to the President for the 22nd consecutive year that the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile remains safe, secure, and effective without the use of nuclear explosive testing. This impressive scientific achievement is enabled by DOE/NNSA’s most valuable resource, its workforce. DOE/NNSA’s ability to recruit, train, and retain the next generation of world-class scientists, engineers, and technicians is a major priority. An additional priority is the revitalization and modernization of the facilities and related infrastructure of the nuclear security enterprise. With continued congressional support for the program described in this FY 2019 SSMP, we will continue to meet our Nation’s evolving nuclear security requirements while keeping the nuclear deterrent safe, secure, and effective. Sincerely, Rick Perry Fiscal Year 2019 Stockpile Stewardship and Management Plan – Biennial Plan Summary | Page v October 2018 | Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration This page left blank intentionally Page vi | Fiscal Year 2019 Stockpile Stewardship and Management Plan – Biennial Plan Summary Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration | October 2018 Executive Summary This Fiscal Year 2019 Stockpile Stewardship and Management Plan – Biennial Plan Summary (SSMP) describes the Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration
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