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TITLE AND SUBTITLE 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER Nuclear Matters. A Practical Guide 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR(S) 5d. PROJECT NUMBER 5e. TASK NUMBER 5f. WORK UNIT NUMBER 7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) 8. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION Office of the Deputy Assistant to the Secretary of Defense (Nuclear REPORT NUMBER Matters),The Pentagon Room 3B884,Washington,DC,20301-3050 9. SPONSORING/MONITORING AGENCY NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) 10. SPONSOR/MONITOR’S ACRONYM(S) 11. SPONSOR/MONITOR’S REPORT NUMBER(S) 12. DISTRIBUTION/AVAILABILITY STATEMENT Approved for public release; distribution unlimited 13. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES 14. ABSTRACT 15. SUBJECT TERMS 16. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF: 17. LIMITATION OF 18. NUMBER 19a. NAME OF ABSTRACT OF PAGES RESPONSIBLE PERSON a. REPORT b. ABSTRACT c. THIS PAGE Same as 270 unclassified unclassified unclassified Report (SAR) Standard Form 298 (Rev. 8-98) Prescribed by ANSI Std Z39-18 Foreword This practical guide to Nuclear Matters is an expanded and revised version of the earlier Nuclear Weapons Stockpile Management Handbook and the Nuclear Weapons Council Handbook. Originally published in 1991 for the use of Action Officers associated with the Nuclear Weapons Council, previous editions have been modified over time to meet the needs of the larger nuclear weapons community as well as those outside the community who seek a better understanding of the subject. Since the early 1990s, the U.S. Nuclear Weapons Program has evolved significantly as a result of unilateral and bilateral arms reductions and the end of underground nuclear testing in the United States; successive editions of these books have been revised and restructured to reflect these changes. This book is intended to be an unofficial reference that explains the history and development of the U.S. Nuclear Weapons Program as well as the current activities associated with sustaining the U.S. nuclear deterrent. It is designed to be useful, but it is neither authoritative nor directive. Please refer to the applicable statute, regulation, Department of Defense Direction/Instruction, or Department of Energy Order for definitive guidance in all areas related to the U.S. Nuclear Weapons Program. The content of Nuclear Matters: A Practical Guide is the sole responsibility of the Office of the Deputy Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Nuclear Matters. Please forward substantive comments and revisions to: Office of the Deputy Assistant to the Secretary of Defense (Nuclear Matters) The Pentagon Room 3B884 Washington, DC 20301-3050 www.acq.osd.mil/ncbdp/nm Table of Contents Foreword .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... ..i Chapter 1: The U.S. Nuclear Weapons Program 1.1 Overview .. .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... ... 1 1.2 The U.S. Nuclear Weapons Program .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... ... 1 1.3 History of the U.S. Nuclear Weapons Program .... .... .... .... .... .... .... ... 1 1.4 End of Underground Nuclear Testing.... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... ... 5 1.5 New Challenges .................................................................... 7 1.5.1 Aging Warheads in an Era of No Nuclear Testing... .... .... .... .... .... 8 1.5.2 Modern Safety, Security, and Control Features .. .... .... .... .... .... .... 9 1.5.3 Loss of Technical Expertise .. .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .. 10 1.5.4 Deterioration of the Nuclear Complex Infrastructure .. .... .... .... .. 10 1.5.5 Stockpile Quantities .. .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .. 11 1.6 Future of the U.S. Nuclear Weapons Program.............................. 11 Chapter 2: Lfe-Cycle of U.S. Nuclear Weapons 2.1 Overview .. .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... 13 2.2 1953 Agreement.................................................................. 14 2.3 Dual-Agency Responsibility .. .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... 15 2.4 Phase 1 - Concept Study ... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... 16 2.5 Phase 2 - Feasibility Study...................................................... 17 2.6 Phase 2A - Design Definition and Cost Study.............................. 17 2.7 Phase 3 - Full-Scale Engineering Development .... .... .... .... .... .... .... 18 2.8 Phase 4 - Production Engineering .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... 19 2.9 Phase 5 - First Production ...................................................... 19 2.10 Phase 6 - Quantity Production and Stockpile Maintenance and Evaluation ... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... 20 2.10.1 Limited-Life Components (LLCs)....................................... 21 2.10.2 The Phase 6.X Process .. .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .. 22 2.10.3 Phase 6.1 - Concept Assessment.... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .. 23 2.10.4 Phase 6.2 - Feasibility Study and Option Down-Select .... .... .... .. 23 2.10.5 Phase 6.2A - Design Definition and Cost Study .... .... .... .... .... .. 25 2.10.6 Phase 6.3 - Development Engineering .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .. 25 Nuclear Matters: A Practical Guide 2008 2.10.7 Phase 6.4 - Production Engineering ... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .. 26 2.10.8 Phase 6.5 - First Production .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .. 27 2.10.9 Phase 6.6 - Full-Scale Production .. .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .. 28 2.11 Phase 7 - Retirement and Dismantlement .. .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... 28 Chapter 3: Nuclear Weapons Program Force Structure 3.1 Overview .. .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... 29 3.2 U.S. Defense Objectives.... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... 29 3.3 Employment of Nuclear Weapons.... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... 31 3.4 U.S. Nuclear Stockpile Composition .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... 33 3.5 Nuclear Stockpile Quantities .. .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... 34 3.6 U.S. Nuclear Weapons Delivery Systems.... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... 34 3.6.1 Bombers .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .. 38 3.6.2 Submarines................................................................... 39 3.6.3 ICBMs ....................................................................... 41 3.6.4 Dual Capable Aircraft (DCA) .. .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .. 41 3.7 DoD Strategic and Non-Strategic Operational Bases...................... 42 Chapter 4: Nuclear Weapons Program Infrastructure 4.1 Overview .. .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... 45 4.1.1 Complex Transformation .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .. 46 4.1.2 The U.S. Nuclear Weapons Complex ................................... 46 4.2 Stockpile Stewardship Program ... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... 51 4.2.1 The Transition to a Science-Based Substitute .... .... .... .... .... .... .. 52 4.2.2 Stockpile Stewardship Program Elements .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .. 53 Chapter 5: Nuclear Weapons Surety 5.1 Overview .. .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... 65 5.2 Dual Agency Surety Responsibilities.......................................... 65 5.3 Nuclear Weapons System Safety .. .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... 65 5.3.1 The DoD and DOE Safety Programs .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .. 66 5.3.2 Nuclear Weapon Design Safety .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .. 66 5.4 Nuclear Weapons Security...................................................... 72 5.4.1 DoD Nuclear Weapons Security Standard.... .... .... .... .... .... .... .. 72 5.4.2 DOE Safeguards and Security .. .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .. 73 5.4.3 DoD and DOE Personnel Security .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .. 74 5.4.4 Procedural Security.... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .. 75 5.4.5 DoD and DOE Security Program Authorities ... .... .... .... .... .... .. 75 5.4.6 Programs of Cooperation ... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .... .. 76 v Table of Contents 5.5 Nuclear