Todd Jacobson
NS&D Monitor
10/24/2014
The National Nuclear Security Administration has completed half of its refurbishment work on the W76-1 nuclear warhead and is on track to complete the life extension program by the end of Fiscal Year 2019, the agency said this week. The NNSA has not released the number of W76 warheads that are being refurbished, but Federation of American Scientists nuclear weapons expert Hans Kristensen has estimated that approximately 1,500 will go through the life extension program. “The W76-1 Life Extension Program is one of several steps we must take as a nation to ensure that America’s smaller nuclear arsenal remains safe, secure and effective,” NNSA Administrator Frank Klotz said in an Oct. 23 statement. “The highly skilled Pantex team will continue to play an indispensable role in protecting the security of the United States, as well as our allies and partners, for many years to come. For that reason, it’s imperative that we continue to invest in the people and in the infrastructure needed to carry out that important, enduring task.”
Work on the W76-1 largely takes place at the Pantex Plant, the production hub of the NNSA weapons complex, but the Y-12 National Security Complex, Savannah River Site, Kansas City National Security Campus, Los Alamos National Laboratory, and Sandia National Laboratories have played a part in the life extension program. The life extension program is a relatively straightforward refurbishment aimed at take care of aging issues and extending the life of the warhead from 20 to 60 years. The refurbishment maximizes the use of W76 components, incorporating nuclear surety enhancements and lessening the risks to certifying the warhead.
The First Production Unit on the warhead was completed in September 2008 and the first W76-1 was delivered to the Navy for deployment on Trident II D5 missiles in 2009. “This is indeed a significant milestone for our nation and our Navy,” stated Vice Adm. Terry Benedict, Director of the Strategic Systems Programs. “Through the Navy’s continued partnership with NNSA, the team has achieved this important milestone, and I look forward to completion of W76-1 production before the decade is out. The combination of the Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine and the Trident II D5 Strategic Weapon System operated by our dedicated sailors forms the backbone of our nation’s nuclear deterrent.”
