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Strategic Objective

Strengthen Key Science, Technology, and Engineering Capabilities and Modernize the National Security Infrastructure

Strategic Objective

Strengthen key science, technology, and engineering capabilities and modernize the national security infrastructure

Lead Office: National Nuclear Security Administration

Themes:

National Defense

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Overview
Progress Update

Overview

Progress Update

Last year, agencies were required to review progress made toward strategic objectives using the agency Strategic Plan, and release summary results on Performance.gov in February 2015. The agency’s strategic review considers performance goals and other evidence, as well as challenges, risks, and external factors that may have affected the outcomes. OMB works with agencies to determine which strategic objectives require focused improvement or noteworthy progress relative to other strategic objectives. Because the Department of Energy released their strategic plan late in 2014, the Department did not complete a strategic review in 2014, but is expected to conduct the review in the future.

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Strategic Goals

Strategic Goal:

Nuclear Security

Statement:

Strengthen national security by maintaining and modernizing the nuclear stockpile and nuclear security infrastructure, reducing global nuclear threats, providing for nuclear propulsion, improving physical and cybersecurity, and strengthening key science, technology, and engineering capabilities

Strategic Objectives

Nuclear Deterrent

Statement:

Maintain the safety, security and effectiveness of the nation’s nuclear deterrent without nuclear testing

Description:

In order to reassure allies and deter potential adversaries as long as nuclear weapons exist, the U.S. must sustain a safe, secure, and effective nuclear arsenal. NNSA will continue to work closely with the Department of Defense (DoD), through the Joint DoD/DOE Nuclear Weapons Council (NWC), to modernize the stockpile through timely execution of approved life extension programs, as outlined in the Stockpile Stewardship and Management Plan (SSMP). The SSMP, which is updated annually, details the 25-year program of record for activities supporting the nuclear weapons stockpile. The SSMP, as well as the NWC, is informed by NNSA technical scoping studies, cost and risk analysis, and resource allocation modeling of alternatives.

As the nation’s nuclear weapons age and exceed their stockpile design life, the NNSA must extend their lifespan. The 2010 NPR report, an extensive review of the nation’s nuclear posture, recommended that study options for weapon life extension programs (LEP) consider three approaches: refurbishment of existing warheads, reuse of nuclear components from different warheads, and replacement of nuclear components. The NPR report recommended fully funding the ongoing LEP for the W76 submarine-based warhead, the LEP study and follow-on activities for the B61 bomb, and to initiate a study of LEP options for the W78 intercontinental ballistic missile warhead, including the possibility of reusing the warhead on submarine-launched ballistic missiles to reduce the number of warhead types.

Without recourse to nuclear testing, NNSA will deliver the scientific capability to assess weapon performance as well as the component and manufacturing technologies and supporting infrastructure required to execute the SSMP. NNSA will ensure the safe and secure transportation of nuclear materials and weapons components. At the same time, NNSA will advance the President’s vision for reductions in nuclear weapons by dismantling retired weapons.

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FY 14-15 Priority Goal: Maintain and modernize the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile and dismantle excess nuclear weapons to meet the national security requirements, as assigned by the President, through the Nuclear Posture Review.

Statement:

In support of this goal, DOE will:

Each year through FY 2015 and into the future, maintain 100% of the warheads in the stockpile as safe, secure, reliable, and available to the President for deployment.
Conduct activities necessary to complete planned W76-1 production in FY 2019 and achieve the first B61-12 production unit in FY 2020, as reported in the FY 2013 Selected Acquisition Reports.

Description:

The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) ensures that nuclear warheads and bombs in the United States (U.S.) nuclear weapons operationally-deployed stockpile are safe, secure, reliable (effective), and available to the President for deployment. Until the world is free of nuclear weapons, the U.S. will assess and maintain a safe, secure, and effective stockpile that deters adversaries and assures allies that they are covered by the U.S. nuclear deterrent umbrella. However, because these weapons will exist for an indefinite period, the U.S. must manage its stockpile while meeting the overarching objectives of: 1) Providing no new military capabilities; 2) Conducting no underground nuclear tests; 3) Requiring no production of new fissile material for warheads; and 4) Contributing to U.S. nonproliferation goals. The NNSA shares responsibilities with the Department of Defense (DoD) for the implementation of actions that follow from the President's Nuclear Weapon Stockpile Memorandum and the 2010 Nuclear Posture Review. Our nation's nuclear weapons are exceeding their stockpile design life and their lifespan must be extended while maintaining the weapons’ safety, security, and effectiveness. At the same time, the NNSA must confront challenges arising from the loss of original manufacturing capabilities, specialized labor skills, and certification without returning to underground nuclear testing. These life extensions cannot be allowed to degrade the historically high confidence levels that underpin our nuclear deterrent.

Key Barriers and Challenges:

The NNSA is committed to the national security requirement to meet the immediate needs of the stockpile while maintaining the basic research and development, technology, and production infrastructure to respond to technical and geopolitical surprise. The NNSA underpins both confidence in the stockpile and reinforcement of the DoD and other national security interests.
To fulfill NNSA's commitment to DoD and the nation, the NNSA works together with its DoD partner to identify priorities and make the appropriate adjustments to scope and schedule that will achieve the goals of the President and the NPR.
NNSA must conduct surveillance and annual assessments as the nuclear weapons stockpile ages. If technical surprises were to occur, the nation must have safe and secure facilities and the science and engineering base to respond. Infrastructure modernization delays continue to challenge NNSA's ability to maintain nuclear surveillance and assessment capability.
NNSA must continue to meet facility safety and security requirements and work to achieve efficiencies where possible.
The nation must maintain an unequaled capability to understand the design and physics of any nuclear device. This understanding extends beyond the stewardship of our own stockpile and includes an ability to analyze and effectively respond to any nuclear threat.
The highly-skilled workforce that designed, tested, produced, and manufactured weapons which entered the stockpile needs to be replaced with the next generation of designers, engineers, and scientists trained in the unique capabilities required and armed with adequate tools and production facilities to steward the nuclear weapons stockpile as it evolves.

Stakeholder Engagement:

Management of this priority goal will require close coordination with the Department of Defense (DoD). The DoD and the NNSA share joint responsibility for all U.S. nuclear weapons. Part of keeping the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile safe, secure, and reliable includes working with the DoD to maintain the quantity and quality of weapons necessary for U.S. national security needs. From the earliest days of the Manhattan Project, the DoD and NNSA have maintained a set of joint programs to maintain the U.S. nuclear stockpile and counter the threat of nuclear proliferation.

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Strengthen Key Science, Technology, and Engineering Capabilities and Modernize the National Security Infrastructure

Statement:

Strengthen key science, technology, and engineering capabilities and modernize the national security infrastructure

Description:

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Reduce Global Nuclear Security Threats

Statement:

Reduce global nuclear security threats

Description:

Preventing nuclear terrorism and the spread of nuclear weapons-related materials, technology, and expertise is a key U.S. national security strategic objective defined in Presidential statements and national security strategy and policy documents. The Department pursues this objective by: providing policy and technical leadership to remove and eliminate, or secure and safeguard the most vulnerable nuclear materials worldwide; limiting or preventing the transfer and trafficking of weapons of mass destruction, WMD-related materials, technology, and expertise; advancing national and international technical capabilities to understand and detect foreign nuclear weapons production and detonation; and developing a comprehensive science-based predictive model for a broad range of nuclear threat devices. DOE also works to strengthen regulatory, safety, security and safeguards infrastructure in countries new to nuclear power; provide and maintain a technically trained-and-ready response to radiological or nuclear incidents worldwide; and provide technical and analytical support, and capability development, for meeting and monitoring compliance with nuclear nonproliferation, counter-proliferation, nuclear forensics, and arms control treaties.

In pursuing this objective, NNSA works in partnership with the Departments of State, Defense, Homeland Security, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Intelligence Community, and other U.S. agencies. Internationally, DOE has a strong and long-established partnership with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and actively conducts bilateral program coordination, as well as multilateral consultations through fora such as the Nuclear Security Summit, the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism, and the Global Partnership against the Spread of Weapons and Materials of Mass Destruction. These exchanges, as well as a variety of domestic and international workshops, tabletop and national-level full-field exercises, provide a real-time capability to reduce nuclear security threats, and validate improvements to that capability. DOE also uses the knowledge gained from these information exchanges to inform its regular program strategy evaluations and assessments. For example, the Second Line of Defense program strategic review resulted in adjustments of program scope and priorities and the Highly Enriched Uranium (HEU) Reconciliation report identified additional nuclear materials for potential removal or elimination.

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FY 14-15 Priority Goal: Continue to make progress toward securing the most vulnerable nuclear materials worldwide.

Statement:

In support of this goal, DOE will:

Remove or confirm disposition of an additional 315 kilograms of highly enriched uranium and plutonium for a cumulative total of 5,332 kilograms by the end of FY 2015.

Description:

In his April 2009 Prague speech, President Obama stated that “we must ensure that terrorists never acquire a nuclear weapon. This is the most immediate and extreme threat to global security. One terrorist with one nuclear weapon could unleash massive destruction. Al Qaeda has said it seeks a bomb and that it would have no problem with using it. And we know that there is unsecured nuclear material across the globe. To protect our people, we must act with a sense of purpose without delay. So today I am announcing a new international effort to secure all vulnerable nuclear material around the world within four years. We will set new standards, expand our cooperation with Russia, pursue new partnerships to lock down these sensitive materials.” The Joint Statement from the Moscow Summit between Presidents Obama and Medvedev in July 2009, the September 2009 United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Resolution 1887, and the Nuclear Security Summits in April 2010 and March 2012, reinforce that this is a pressing global security issue.

Key Challenges include:

• Host country’s commitment to implement and sustain their nuclear security/removal activities.

• Additional agreements need to be negotiated with foreign governments before all work can be completed as planned.

Stakeholder Engagement: The Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) works with other U.S. government agencies, multilateral institutions, foreign governments, and commercial contractors. Policy issues are coordinated with the National Security Council and the Department of State. NNSA nonproliferation programs maintain close coordination with the International Atomic Energy Agency and the Department of Defense's Cooperative Threat Reduction Agency.

This priority goal supports the nuclear security strategic goal and the strategic objective to reduce goal nuclear security threats.

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Provide Safe and Effective Integrated Nuclear Propulsion Systems for the U.S. Navy

Statement:

Provide safe and effective integrated nuclear propulsion systems for the U.S. Navy

Description:

DOE provides the design, development, and operational support required to provide militarily effective nuclear propulsion plants and ensure their safe, reliable, and long-lived operation. DOE is responsible for the reactor plant design and development for the Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine replacement, which will include new technology to allow lower-cost construction while enhancing plant safety and survivability and reducing life-cycle costs. It also will refuel its land-based reactor plant prototype in support of essential research and development efforts, and work toward the recapitalization of the program’s 50-year old used nuclear fuel infrastructure to ensure the flexibility needed to adjust to future mission demands.

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