NNSA News:WASHINGTON ― The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) released “NNSA Achievements: 2015 By the Numbers,” a report highlighting major accomplishments and milestones reached during the course of the year by the Nuclear Security Enterprise and its workforce to make the nation safer and more secure.
The achievements reach across NNSA’s core mission pillars: to maintain a safe, secure and effective nuclear deterrent; to prevent, counter and respond to the threats of nuclear proliferation and terrorism worldwide; and to provide naval nuclear propulsion.
“In 2015, the Nuclear Security Enterprise achieved major milestones in its core missions and delivered significant progress on critical initiatives,” said Lt. Gen. Frank G. Klotz (Ret.), Undersecretary for Nuclear Security and Administrator of NNSA. “None of these accomplishments would have been possible without our employees, whose leadership, management and dedication—at headquarters and throughout our field offices—enable the world-class science, technology, and engineering that underpin our missions.”
Select achievements by NNSA in 2015 included:
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Reaching milestones on stockpile Life Extension Programs (LEPs), including surpassing the halfway point on full production of the W76-1 LEP; continuing development of the B61-12 LEP; and making impressive progress on the development of the submarine-launched W88 ALT 370;
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Announcing scientific breakthroughs in support of stockpile stewardship at NNSA’s three national nuclear laboratories, including the first hardware delivery for Trinity, NNSA’s next generation high performance computer;
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Providing key technical and scientific expertise in support of the Secretary of Energy’s efforts to develop the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)—the landmark Iran deal;
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Adding Kazakhstan, Switzerland and Uzbekistan to the list of 28 countries plus Taiwan that are now free from highly enriched uranium (HEU), through work by NNSA and international partners;
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Developing the submarine reactor plant of the future for the U.S. Navy, designed to satisfy the requirements of the next-generation ballistic missile submarine;
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Implementing current best-practice standards for project management to modernize an aging infrastructure that dates back to the days of the Manhattan Project. Several successful infrastructure improvements occurred at the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge, TN, including the completion—on time and $20 million under budget—of the Uranium Processing Facility Site Readiness subproject; and infrastructure improvements to two production buildings that came in $45.7 million under budget and were completed 11 months ahead of schedule;
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Standing up a re-engineered Office of Safety, Infrastructure and Operations to ensure a safe, effective, efficient and sustainable Nuclear Security Enterprise, and an Office of Policy to further examine NNSA’s government-contractor processes as well as other governance issues.
The report also details additional achievements in stockpile stewardship, nonproliferation, naval propulsion, site security, project oversight management and other core NNSA responsibilities.
“NNSA Achievements: 2015 by the Numbers is available” online here.
