Nuclear Modernization Archives - Defense Daily

House Appropriators Pass Energy And Water Bill With Less NNSA Funds Than Requested

Sarah Salem — Fri, 22 May 2026 16:07:42 +0000

The House Appropriations Committee passed 34-25 its version of a bill on Wednesday that would give $27 billion to the Department of Energy’s semi-autonomous National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) for […]

NNSA Touts Early First Production Unit Completion Of W76-Related Project

Sarah Salem — Wed, 20 May 2026 18:25:15 +0000

The Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) completed the first production unit of the W76/Mk4B reentry body for the Navy’s submarine-launched ballistic missile warhead, the agency said Wednesday. […]

Fischer Criticizes Lack Of SLCM-N Funding, Discourages Reconciliation Process

Sarah Salem — Tue, 19 May 2026 21:12:26 +0000

Sen. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) criticized the omission of funding for the nuclear-armed sea-launched cruise missile from the fiscal 2027 budget request, warning the absence of appropriated funding could jeopardize the […]

Graham Criticizes DoE Reprogramming Of Savannah River Funds To Los Alamos Pit Work

Sarah Salem — Tue, 12 May 2026 20:47:35 +0000

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) recently pressed Energy Secretary Chris Wright recently over the Department of Energy’s decision to redirect funding intended for the Savannah River Site to weapons production efforts […]

Earnings Up At BWXT Due Nuclear Manufacturing, PCG Acquisition

Sarah Salem — Mon, 11 May 2026 20:44:34 +0000

Earnings rose at BWX Technologies (BWXT), Lynchburg, Va., in the first quarter, which the Department of Energy contractor attributed to opportunities in nuclear manufacturing and the company’s recent acquisition. Net […]

Naval Reactor Office Could Save Billions Partnering With Environmental Office, GAO Says

Sarah Salem — Mon, 11 May 2026 18:31:18 +0000

The Department of Energy’s Office of Naval Reactors could save billions of dollars and 15 years of cleanup time partnering with the Office of Environmental Management (EM) to clean up […]

BWXT Wins $1.4 billion In Naval Nuclear Propulsion Contracts

Sarah Salem — Mon, 11 May 2026 17:15:49 +0000

BWX Technologies [BWXT] said last Thursday that it has received more than $1.4 billion in contracts under the U.S. Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program, continuing a steady stream of awards tied […]

Russia Maintains Largest Nuclear Weapons Stockpile, Report Says

Sarah Salem — Thu, 07 May 2026 20:40:48 +0000

Russia possesses the world’s largest nuclear arsenal, a position it is leveraging alongside an expanding set of strategic capabilities, according to a May 1 report by the Congressional Research Service […]

Despite Trillion Dollar Defense Topline, Sentinel And B-21 Receive Cuts, Air Force Explains

Sarah Salem — Fri, 24 Apr 2026 14:56:43 +0000

The Air Force’s two most expensive nuclear modernization programs are seeing notable year-over-year declines in their budget lines, driven less by program slowdowns than by the absence of one-time congressional […]

Energy Secretary Stresses Importance Of NNSS And Non-Explosive Tests As Lee Presses For Funding

Sarah Salem — Thu, 23 Apr 2026 20:37:23 +0000

Rep. Susie Lee (D-Nev.) on April 15 pressed Energy Secretary Chris Wright over funding instability affecting key projects at the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS), warning that continued uncertainty could […]

Williams: W80-5 “Ahead of Schedule”, SLCM-N Not In Fiscal 2027 Budget, Will Be In Fiscal 2028

Sarah Salem — Thu, 23 Apr 2026 15:51:31 +0000

While the nuclear-armed, sea-launched cruise missile (SLCM-N) was not in the White House fiscal 2027 budget request, Brandon Williams, head of the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), said it has […]

NNSA’s Requested $7 Billion Hike For Seven Modernization Programs And Plutonium Pit Production, Administrator Says

Sarah Salem — Thu, 23 Apr 2026 15:33:09 +0000

Sen. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.), ranking member of the House Armed Services strategic forces subcommittee, said on Wednesday that it was “hard to see” a reason for the large spike in […]

USAF Examining Software, Construction Competition For Sentinel Program

Frank Wolfe — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 21:42:51 +0000

The Pentagon is looking at competition in the software and support construction realms for the Northrop Grumman [NOC] future LGM-35A Sentinel ICBM, a top official said on Wednesday. The Air […]

Sentinel Cost Estimate To Be Provided This Summer

Sarah Salem — Wed, 22 Apr 2026 18:37:03 +0000

Air Force Gen. Dale White, the director of critical major weapons systems at the Pentagon, said the Sentinel ICBM program will have an official cost estimation by this summer as […]

David Beck To Deliver Plan For $3.1B NNSA Reconciliation Funds In Next 30 Days

Sarah Salem — Tue, 21 Apr 2026 17:03:57 +0000

David Beck, deputy administrator for defense programs at the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), told Congress Monday he would give them a plan for spending fiscal 2026 reconciliation funds “within […]

Sen. Fischer Says ‘Listen To The Scientists’ But Be Ready To Test Weapons

Sarah Salem — Mon, 20 Apr 2026 20:14:07 +0000

Sen. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), chair of the Senate Armed Services Strategic Forces subcommittee, said she has “faith” the models used at the national labs are good, but it’s “always good […]

Energy Secretary: Los Alamos “Actually Manufacturing Pits” With Goal Of 100 In Trump Administration

Sarah Salem — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 18:37:53 +0000

Secretary of Energy Chris Wright confirmed Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico has “just begun” pit production during testimony Wednesday to the House Appropriations Energy and Water subcommittee on […]

Lockheed Martin Nabs Near Billion-Dollar Trident II Contract Modification

Sarah Salem — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 18:22:41 +0000

Lockheed Martin‘s [LMT] Space business has secured an $850.4 million contract modification from the Navy to continue work on the Trident II (D5) Life Extension 2 program, according to a […]

White House Lays Groundwork For 2030 Moon Reactor Mission

Sarah Salem — Wed, 15 Apr 2026 15:00:28 +0000

The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy unveiled in a Tuesday memorandum a new initiative focused on the use of nuclear power in space. Within 30 days of […]

Solid Rocket Motors For First Five Sentinel Flight Tests In Construction

Frank Wolfe — Mon, 13 Apr 2026 17:46:17 +0000

Solid rocket motors for the first five Air Force flight tests of the Northrop Grumman [NOC] LGM-35A Sentinel future ICBM are in construction, the company said on Monday. “Every propulsive […]

Air Force, DIU Pick Buckley And Malmstrom Bases For Microreactors

Sarah Salem — Wed, 08 Apr 2026 20:02:07 +0000

The Air Force and the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) said Wednesday they picked Buckley Space Force Base in Colorado and Malmstrom AFB in Montana as potential locations for nuclear microreactors. […]

White House Requests $32.8 billion For NNSA In Fiscal 2027 Topline

Sarah Salem — Fri, 03 Apr 2026 18:33:45 +0000

The Trump administration rolled out its very high-level budget proposal for fiscal 2027 on April 3, which included $32.8 billion for the Department of Energy’s semiautonomous National Nuclear Security Administration […]

Garamendi Urges New START Extension; Says China Talks ‘Have To Start Somewhere’

Sarah Salem — Fri, 03 Apr 2026 15:15:41 +0000

Rep. John Garamendi (D-Calif.) is urging the Trump administration to pursue near-term arms control steps with Russia while opening parallel, if incremental, discussions with China – warning a treaty lapse […]

Air Force Posts RFI For Deploying Reactors At Military Bases

Sarah Salem — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 17:58:31 +0000

In a Request for Information (RFI) released March 25, the Air Force is looking for input from companies interested in deploying nuclear reactors at its bases. The RFI listed on […]

STRATCOM: Nuclear Modernization Remains Top Priority

Sarah Salem — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 18:39:07 +0000

The head of U.S. Strategic Command (STRATCOM) told lawmakers last week that nuclear modernization remains the Pentagon’s top investment priority, while signaling openness to expanding the Navy’s next-generation ballistic missile […]

State Dept: AUKUS Framework ‘Canary In A Coal Mine’

Sarah Salem — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 18:03:49 +0000

A senior State Department official last week told lawmakers that the AUKUS security partnership is being hindered by a complex web of regulatory barriers, describing the challenge as a “fishing […]

Prototype, Modular Silo For Sentinel To Aid Construction “At Scale”

Frank Wolfe — Fri, 27 Mar 2026 16:43:52 +0000

Testing of Northrop Grumman‘s [NOC] and Bechtel‘s prototype missile silo for the U.S. Air Force LGM-35A Sentinel future ICBM is to demonstrate a modular design that the service and industry […]

STRATCOM: ‘High Confidence’ In Extending Ohio-Class Life; SLCM-N Can Match Russia, China

Sarah Salem — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 20:05:34 +0000

Adm. Richard Correll, commander of the U.S. Strategic Command (STRATCOM), said Thursday the Navy has a plan to extend the lifespan of the Ohio-class nuclear-powered submarines to “bridge” the gap […]

State Department Arms Control Chief: “No discussion” On Atmospheric Testing

Sarah Salem — Tue, 24 Mar 2026 21:27:09 +0000

Thomas Dinanno, undersecretary of state for arms control and international security, said he has “not been in any discussions” where U.S. testing of nuclear weapons in the atmosphere has been […]

Arms Control Head Says Continued Weapons Modernization Will Grab China’s ‘Attention’

Sarah Salem — Tue, 24 Mar 2026 17:58:57 +0000

The head of arms control for the State Department told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Tuesday that continued modernization, including 150 B-21 stealth bombers, will prod China to engage in […]

Space Force Holding Reverse Industry Day For Evolved Strategic SATCOM

Frank Wolfe — Mon, 23 Mar 2026 20:22:55 +0000

The U.S. Space Force is meeting with companies this week in the Washington, D.C., area for an Evolved Strategic satellite communication (ESS) reverse industry day–the latter a term for companies […]

Sentinel Delays Keep Pressure On Aging Minuteman III, STRATCOM Says

Sarah Salem — Thu, 19 Mar 2026 19:15:23 +0000

The head of U.S. Strategic Command (STRATCOM) acknowledged ongoing challenges with the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent replacement program, emphasizing the need to carefully balance testing demands with the realities of […]

STRATCOM Wants Innovation Alliance To Advance NC3 Technologies

Frank Wolfe — Wed, 04 Mar 2026 22:42:11 +0000

U.S. Strategic Command (STRATCOM) at Offutt AFB, Neb., is creating an NC3 Innovation Alliance under STRATCOM’s NC3 Enterprise Center (NEC) to advance technologies for nuclear command, control, and communications (NC3). […]

Two Re-Entry Vehicles Featured In Latest Minuteman III Test, AFGSC Says

Frank Wolfe — Wed, 04 Mar 2026 17:49:59 +0000

The latest Air Force Minuteman III test on Tuesday featured multiple unarmed re-entry vehicles. Last month’s lapse of New START between Russia and the U.S. may lead to a rethinking […]

Strong Fourth Quarter Despite Gov Ops Decrease For BWXT

Sarah Salem — Tue, 24 Feb 2026 16:24:09 +0000

Earnings rose, though government operations fell, at BWX Technologies (BWXT) in the fourth quarter, which the company attributed to naval propulsion and commercial nuclear power awards. Net earnings for the […]

U.S. Intelligence: China conducted 2020 Explosive Nuclear Test, Revamping Arsenal

Sarah Salem — Mon, 23 Feb 2026 21:17:27 +0000

After the State Department publicly revealed China secretly conducted an explosive nuclear test in 2020, despite a self-imposed ban from 1996, intelligence agencies are saying China’s purpose is to completely […]

Sentinel Software Development “Slower Than Anticipated,” GAO Says

Frank Wolfe — Wed, 18 Feb 2026 17:50:22 +0000

The Air Force faces software design challenges for Northrop Grumman‘s [NOC] future LGM-35A Sentinel ICBM, according to the Government Accountability Office (GAO). “Sentinel is software-intensive, and development progress remains slower […]

First Air Force Sentinel Flight Test From Pad Planned Next Year; Service Breaking Ground On Prototype Silo

Frank Wolfe — Tue, 17 Feb 2026 21:07:59 +0000

The Air Force is to start construction this month of a prototype silo for the Sentinel LGM-35A future ICBM by Northrop Grumman [NOC] in advance of a planned Pentagon engineering […]

DoE, Pentagon Transport Reactor, Wright Says Three Small Reactors Running By July 4

Sarah Salem — Tue, 17 Feb 2026 18:04:28 +0000

A nuclear reactor was airlifted from March AFB, Calif.. to Hill AFB, Utah, on Sunday, according to a release on the Pentagon’s website. This is the first time a nuclear […]

CRS Report Says ‘Little Indication’ Alternatives To AUKUS Were Examined

Sarah Salem — Thu, 12 Feb 2026 19:11:17 +0000

A January report from the Congressional Research Service (CRS), Congress’s policy research division, said alternatives were not explored to the trilateral agreement between Australia, the U.S. and the United Kingdom. […]

Proposed UMich Data Center Would Support Los Alamos Nuclear Weapons Research

Sarah Salem — Tue, 10 Feb 2026 17:33:11 +0000

A proposed University of Michigan data center will support research related to nuclear weapons and plutonium pit development for Los Alamos National Laboratory, the student-run newspaper Michigan Daily reported Jan. […]

One-Year New START Extension May Not Be In The Cards

Sarah Salem — Wed, 04 Feb 2026 19:26:32 +0000

With a 16-year U.S.-Russia nuclear agreement expiring Feb. 5, three former national security officials testified in front of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) Tuesday to advise on next steps, […]

Director Says LANL Exceeds Pit Production Objectives

Sarah Salem — Thu, 29 Jan 2026 21:22:34 +0000

The National Nuclear Security Administration’s (NNSA) Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) “exceeded all” objectives for producing the fissile cores of the nation’s nuclear weapons, the lab’s director Thom Mason told […]

W80-5 “Just Came Up,” Will Go On SLCM-N, Weapons Directors Say

Sarah Salem — Thu, 29 Jan 2026 16:37:06 +0000

The W80-5, a new variant of the W80 warhead family, is on a “more aggressive schedule” to go on the nuclear-armed sea-launched cruise missile (SLCM-N), weapons directors said on the […]

Cyber Top of “Threat Vector” List For STRATCOM Commander

Frank Wolfe — Wed, 28 Jan 2026 22:56:08 +0000

“Five significant threat vectors” are of concern to U.S. Strategic Command (STRATCOM), Adm. Richard Correll said on Wednesday at the Nuclear Deterrence Summit in Arlington, Va. in his debut public […]

USAF Considering “Modular” Missile Silos For Sentinel

Frank Wolfe — Wed, 28 Jan 2026 20:24:05 +0000

The U.S. Air Force is considering “modular” missile silos to house the service’s future LGM-35A Sentinel ICBM by Northrop Grumman [NOC]. Such modular silos would use pre-cast concrete and standardized […]

Bechtel Receives $812 Million Naval Nuclear Propulsion Contract

Sarah Salem — Tue, 27 Jan 2026 21:59:29 +0000

A Bechtel subsidiary received a $812 million cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for naval nuclear propulsion components by the Navy, according to the Jan. 21 contracts list on the Pentagon website. Bechtel Plant […]

NNSA Should Approach Contracting Differently, Pappano Says

Sarah Salem — Tue, 27 Jan 2026 21:55:53 +0000

ARLINGTON, Va. – The second-highest person at the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) said Tuesday he is “absolutely considering contracting differently.” Scott Pappano, NNSA’s principal deputy administrator, gave a keynote […]

NNSA No. 2 Committed To A “Two-Site Solution” For Pits, Needs SRS Support

Sarah Salem — Tue, 27 Jan 2026 21:52:36 +0000

ARLINGTON, Va.– Scott Pappano, principal deputy administrator of the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), said on Tuesday that Savannah River can still play a “supporting role” in pit production between […]

NNSA Explores Pilot Project With AWS For Genesis, Fed Spending Site Says

Sarah Salem — Thu, 22 Jan 2026 22:04:04 +0000

The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) has awarded Amazon Web Services (AWS) a contract worth up to $30.7 million to complete high-performance computing support and data processing services for the […]