REPRESENTATIVES FROM NATO COUNTRIES TOUR SANDIA

More than 50 officials from 23 European countries toured Sandia National Laboratories last week as part of a demonstration of the U.S. extended deterrence commitment to its NATO allies. The delegation was led by Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear, Chemical and Biological Defense Programs Andrew Weber and Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear and Missile Defense Policy Elaine Bunn and also included officials from the National Nuclear Security Administration, the State Department and other agencies. Sandia is spearheading the NNSA’s work on refurbishing the B61 bomb, which is deployed in a handful of European countries as a symbol of the U.S. nuclear umbrella. “The visit aimed at demonstrating the science, engineering, and technology required to implement U.S. policies that support the alliance,” Sandia said in a statement. The visit included an overview of the U.S. weapons complex, including the work of its three nuclear weapons laboratories: Sandia, Los Alamos and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. The lab said that capabilities linked to the lab’s role in warhead life extension programs were demonstrated and officials took a “windshield” tour of Sandia’s large-scale experimental test areas and saw demonstrations of nuclear incident response equipment. “We are in full gear to execute this mission” with the alliance in mind, Sandia Director Paul Hommert said in a statement.