The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) this week authorized the beginning of the W88 Alteration 370 program’s production engineering phase, part of the agency’s work in ensuring the reliability of the U.S. nuclear deterrent.
The W88 thermonuclear warhead is deployed on the Trident II D5 submarine-launched ballistic missile carried on Ohio-class submarines. The warhead, in the stockpile since 1988, requires updates to maintain readiness and address aging problems, the NNSA said in a press release Thursday.
The NNSA’s alteration program for the warhead initially involved “a new arming, fuzing, and firing subsystem and added a lightening arrestor connector to enhance nuclear safety and support future life extension program options,” the agency said. The program in late 2014 was expanded to also replace the warhead’s conventional high-explosive charges and related components.
The program spent four years in the development engineering phase and will move on to production after completion of the current production engineering phase. This phase involves capital equipment acquisition; qualification of the tooling, gauges, and other gear to be used during production; and qualification flight tests in conjunction with the Navy, among other activities. The first production unit is planned for December 2019 and production is scheduled for completion by 2024, the NNSA said.
“Achieving this milestone on time is a testament to the effective partnership between the NNSA National Security Labs, the production facilities, and the U.S. Navy,” Phil Calbos, NNSA’s acting deputy administrator for defense programs, said in a statement.
The U.S. nuclear arsenal includes close to 400 W88 warheads, according to GlobalSecurity.org.
The Los Alamos and Sandia national laboratories in New Mexico, the Kansas City National Security Campus, the Pantex Plant in Texas, and the Savannah River Site in South Carolina all play a role in the warhead alteration program.
