Nuclear Weapons Life Cycle

NNSA is a semi-autonomous agency within the U.S. Department of Energy responsible for enhancing national security through the military application of nuclear science.

Nuclear weapons are conceptually-designed, developed, produced, and maintained in the stockpile, and then retired and dismantled. NNSA partners with the Department of Defense (DOD) to conduct activities in a joint nuclear

weapons life cycle process through refurbishment activities.

NNSA is a semi-autonomous agency within the U.S. Department of Energy responsible for enhancing national security through the military application of nuclear science.energy.gov/nnsa June 2018

6) Quantity Production and Stockpile Maintenance and Evaluation: production rate of warheads and components increased; completed warheads delivered to DOD; testing and evaluation of components as required; stockpile maintenance performed; safety, security, and reliability training performed

6.1) Concept Assessment: concepts to meet needs assessed; if valid, Project Officers Group (POG) decides if formal program study is warranted or the activity should be managed as a maintenance action outside the 6.X Process

6.2) Feasibility Study and Design Options: POG develops design options and assesses feasibility dependent upon military characteristics, stockpile-to-target sequences, timelines, and resource constraints

6.2A) Design Definition and Cost Study: POG refines options by updating criteria, developing design and qualification plans, identifying production needs, and creating preliminary life-cycle plan; phase culminates with the release of the Joint Integrated Project Plan (JIPP) from POG and Weapon Design and Cost Report from NNSA; JIPP will serve as baseline control document

6.3) Development Engineering: experiments, tests, and analyses conducted to develop and validate selected design option; National Laboratories initiate process development activities and produce test hardware, as required

6.4) Production Engineering: developmental design refined into producible design and prepares the production agencies for production. NNSA updates production cost estimates and defines procedures with the DOD to conduct stockpile sustainment.

1) Concept Study: preliminary assessments of effectiveness and survivability of weapon concept; identification of delivery system/ nuclear warhead trade-offs

2) Program Feasibility Study: technical feasibility of weapon concepts determined; alternatives also developed

2A) Design Definition and Cost Study: refinement of warhead design definition, program schedule, and cost estimates

3) Full-Scale Engineering Development: program baseline established; testing and evaluation of warhead to meet engineering standards

4) Production Engineering: developmental warhead design transitions into manufacturing processes; required production line equipment and tools are designed

5) First Production: raw materials procured; production line established; production of components begins; processes and products are evaluated and, if necessary, modified

6.5) First Production: First warheads produced; POG determines if warheads meet design and military requirements

6.6) Full-Scale Production: written authorization required from Nuclear Weapons Council prior to beginning full-scale production and delivery of refurbished weapons for the stockpile

7) Retirement/ Storage: quantity of a warhead-type reduced in stockpile until all warheads of that type are retired and dismantled; There are three sub-phases: 7A - Weapon Retirement, 7B - Weapon Dismantlement, and 7C - Component and Material Disposal