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

to identifying and responding to potential problems with agility and effectiveness. A strong monitoring
program regularly providing comprehensive state-of-the-weapon data is essential to sustain the
stockpile. The FY 2012 request supports improved stockpile surveillance activities, including laboratory
and component testing for specific weapons systems, support to the annual assessment and certification
process, and development of new surveillance techniques. Weapons surveillance activities will ensure
early knowledge and understanding of the status of each weapon system and increase the availability of
data to aid in that understanding. The enhanced surveillance activities included in the FY 2012 budget
will continue the efforts begun in FY 2011 to reposition the nuclear security enterprise to a sustainable
surveillance approach for the future.
Many age-related changes affecting various nuclear warhead components are predictable and well
understood. Limited life component exchanges are performed routinely to replace these components
periodically throughout the lifetime of the weapon. Components such as power sources, neutron
generators and tritium reservoirs deteriorate predictably and must be replaced before their deterioration
adversely affects function or personnel safety. The NNSA is working with the DoD to align component
production requirements with NPR size and composition for the stockpile.
Life extension activities reflect NPR direction. The W76 warhead LEP is well-underway, with first
production unit accomplished in FY 2008, and delivery of all units to the Navy to be completed by
FY 2017. The B61-12 study to determine the design parameters for its life extension will continue
through 2012. This includes consideration of how to modify the Cold War era weapon system for
enhanced margin against failure while increasing safety, and improving the security and use control.
For example, insensitive high explosives could replace conventional high explosives. Additionally,
modifications could be employed to provide greater reliability; and components and materials with
known compatibility and aging issues could be replaced, providing better alternatives. With the
expected Nuclear Weapons Council (NWC) Phase 6.3 approval in FY 2012, the funding from Stockpile
Systems transferred to the LEP subprogram for the B61-12. A life extension study for the W78 is also
underway and in order to reduce the number of warhead types it will consider the possibility of
developing a common ICBM/SLBM warhead that will include the W88 platform. In all life extension
studies, the NNSA will rely on fundamental and applied ST&E to improve its understanding of nuclear
weapon behavior, and to assure the safety, security, and effectiveness of our nuclear deterrent supported
by a reduced and more sustainable, efficient and appropriately-sized nuclear security infrastructure.
Science, Technology, and Engineering (ST&E)
The Science, Technology and Engineering (Science Campaign, Engineering Campaign, Inertial
Confinement Fusion and High Yield Campaign, Advanced Simulation and Computing Campaign)
request ensures that we keep the commitment made by President Obama, in his April 27, 2009 address
to the National Academy of Sciences, that “Science is more essential for our prosperity, our security, our
health, our environment, and our quality of life than it has ever been before…”. It is the reality of
today’s security environment that the United States requires an agile and responsive national security
science, technology, and engineering funded enterprise to remain protected from the threats of today and
the future. Sustaining the national security ST&E capabilities within the NNSA is important for more
than the need to assess and monitor the nuclear weapons stockpile. While national ST&E investments
are instrumental in transitioning to a 21st century nuclear deterrent strategy, they are also key to a range
of national security issues, tools, and solutions. NNSA and its laboratories have the unique capability to
take on complex projects requiring both breadth and depth of science as well as an ability to respond to
Weapons Activities Overview FY 2012 Congressional Budget
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