In early December, National Nuclear Security Administration Deputy Administrator Frank Rose completed a multiday visit to Hawaii to meet with senior military officials regarding regional security and nuclear non-proliferation issues.
Rose met with U. S. Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM) officers and staff from Dec. 4-8, in a series of meetings focusing on the regional security environment, integrated deterrence, and joint NNSA-Department of Defense initiatives to secure radioactive and nuclear materials and build partner capacity, the NNSA said in a Dec. 29 statement.
The combatant command covers about half the earth’s surface, stretching from the U.S. west coast to the western border of India and from the North Pole to the South Pole.
“Our partners at INDOPACOM hold the vital responsibility of protecting U.S. and allied interests in a dynamic and important area of the world,” Rose said. “Together, we are expanding the toolkit for countering nuclear and radiological threats, and I look forward to continuing our fruitful relationship in the face of a rapidly evolving regional and international environment.”
During the trip, Rose also visited Sandia National Laboratories’ Kauai Test Facility, the Naval Submarine Training Center-Pacific, Submarine Command Pacific, and the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility, NNSA said.
Rose has taken several trips to the region in recent months, having also visited Japan and South Korea. NNSA and Japan have worked to remove over 640 kilograms of highly enriched uranium and plutonium from six Japanese research reactors over the past decade, Rose said.
On Dec. 6 Rose flew to the island of Kaua’i to visit Sandia National Laboratories’ Kauai Test Facility, a rocket launch range in operation since 1961 that currently supports research on hypersonics, missile defense, and other technology development.
In addition to touring the main compound and launch field, Rose held a meeting with facility staff and leadership.
“It is difficult to overstate our appreciation for the KTF staff’s technical contributions to the Navy and the Pacific Missile Range’s Facility,” Rose said. “Their service and commitment is vital to supporting our national security mission.”
