Department of Energy FY 2012 Congressional ... - The FIRE Place

National Security Applications
Funding Profile by Subprogram
(dollars in thousands)
FY 2010 Actual FY 2011 FY 2012
Appropriation Request Request
Operations and Maintenance 0 20,000 20,000
Total, National Security Applications 0 20,000 20,000
Outyear Funding Profile by Subprogram
(dollars in thousands)
FY 2013 FY 2014 FY 2015 FY 2016
Total, National Security Applications 20,000 20,000 20,000 20,000
Mission
The National Security Applications (NSA) program (formerly the Science, Technology and Engineering
Capability) makes strategic investments in the national security science, technology and engineering
capabilities and infrastructure base that are necessary to address current and future global security
issues. The NSA budget is separated into its own budget line to highlight technical investments. This
program integrates the management, development, and maintenance of NSA capabilities that are relied
upon by agencies across the Federal government and provides transparency, alignment, and
accountability into the investments made in workforce and infrastructure to preserve national security
capabilities into the future.
The facilities and the expert multidisciplinary workforce within the nuclear security enterprise provide
decision makers with the ability to understand the state of international scientific and technological
advances as well as project how these advances could affect national security. Furthermore, their unique
multidisciplinary infrastructure is key to anticipating technological surprise and for providing rapid
innovative solutions to complex technical problems faced by multiple agencies. To address these
national security challenges beyond the nuclear stockpile, the administration is committed to both retain
and nurture national security research and development (R&D) capabilities to serve broader national
security interests.
Benefits
NNSA’s nuclear security enterprise infrastructure, with its unparalleled R&D capabilities, has
underpinned national nuclear security from the Manhattan Project to the present. However, the national
security landscape in the twenty-first century has changed dramatically. Nations and non-state actors
pose unconventional warfare threats to the United States (U.S.) and our allies that could lead to
significant loss of life, major damage to the nation’s infrastructure, severe economic consequences,
and/or technological surprise.
Other Federal agencies have made good use of the breadth of science and technology expertise of the
NNSA laboratories. However, past focus has been on short-term and tactical projects of some urgency
with specific deliverables that answer an immediate need. The use of the partnership model with the
unique, multidisciplinary workforce and infrastructure resident within the enterprise results in an agile
and responsive enterprise that is cost efficient, includes accelerated capability development, and has
quick response built-in.
Weapons Activities/
National Security Applications Page 311
FY 2012 Congressional Budget