The US Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) has recently confirmed the successful production of the First Production Unit (FPU) of a plutonium pit for the W87-1 Modification Program.
The W87-1 warhead will replace the older W78 warhead, ensuring that the intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) leg of the nuclear triad remains safe, secure, and effective.
The plutonium pit is an essential part of the United States’ nuclear warheads.
The recent pit production signifies the official recommencement of US nuclear warhead production.
Plutonium pit
The NNSA is currently working on reestablishing the capability to produce plutonium pits at a minimum rate of 80 pits per year.
During the Cold War, the United States had the capability to produce hundreds of pits per year.
The production of pits was stopped in 1989, and the NNSA is currently working on rebuilding the production capabilities that deteriorated after the Cold War within the Nuclear Security Enterprise.
It is a significant achievement for the United States’ nuclear weapon stockpile modernization to reach the FPU of the W87-1 pit.
The W87-1 warhead is designed to support the Department of Defense’s Sentinel ICBM, which is set to become a crucial component of the nation’s land-based nuclear deterrent.
The Sentinel ICBM will replace the aging Minuteman III ICBMs.
Nuclear warhead
The initial fully certified plutonium core for the W87-1 nuclear warhead has been officially approved for deployment to the United States’ nuclear stockpile at the highest quality level known as “war reserve.”
The experts from various organizations within the Enterprise, such as Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), the Kansas City National Security Campus (KCNSC), and the Nevada National Security Site, worked closely with NNSA for eight years.
They collaborated to develop and refine the qualification, certification, and product acceptance processes necessary for manufacturing this FPU pit.
The manufacturing of plutonium pits was finished at LANL, with Livermore Laboratory in charge of the pit design and KCNSC responsible for producing the non-nuclear components.
“This complex effort executed by our mission partners represents an important step on our path to restoring and modernizing NNSA’s capability to produce plutonium pits at the quantities needed to support military requirements set by the Department of Defense,” said Dr. Marvin Adams, Deputy Administrator for Defense Programs.
To ensure the reliability of the nuclear stockpile, it is crucial to maintain consistent production of plutonium pits and have strong experimental capabilities to study plutonium properties.
Activities are ongoing at LANL to achieve the target capacity of producing 30 pits per year. The installation of equipment and other facility improvements will enhance the production capability, ensuring a more reliable output.
The Savannah River Plutonium Processing Facility, located at the Savannah River Site, is projected to achieve the capability to produce a minimum of 50 pits annually by the mid-2030s.
The NNSA is actively working on restoring and modernizing all production manufacturing capabilities to create a more resilient enterprise that can effectively meet the evolving objectives of nuclear deterrence.
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