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U.S. Energy Dept. head calls for modernizing 'Manhattan Project-era' nuke sites

Tuesday, August 18, 2009   E-Mail this story   Free Headline Alerts

U.S. nuclear weapons infrastructures are in need of modernization despite President Obama’s call for the complete elimination of nuclear weapons, according to the head of the Energy Department’s nuclear weapons program.

Thomas P. D'Agostino, head of the Energy Department's National Nuclear Security Administration, said during a conference at the U.S. Strategic Command that nuclear weapons modernization must be modernized.

“My main concern with respect to infrastructure and deterrence – the topic of this panel – is that we must continue to modernize, advance and exercise our technical capabilities,” he said.

“We must replace old, expensive, large Manhattan Project-era facilities. And, finally, we must recruit and retain the best scientists and engineers in the world.”

A recent Pentagon study of U.S. nuclear weapons found serious deficiencies with the U.S. strategic nuclear weapons arsenal, including old and unreliable “physics packages” – the core of a nuclear warhead – as well as aging electronic controls and security devices.

The United States no long manufactures nuclear warheads and Congress has blocked funding for programs to upgrade U.S. nuclear weapons.

D’Agostino said the NNSA will play a central role in the Obama administration’s effort to curb the spread of nuclear weapons and missile delivery systems.

U.S. nuclear specialists will provide support to international efforts to control warheads and fissile material; bolster intelligence analysts on foreign nuclear weapons program and assess potential terrorist plans for the use of nuclear weapons. U.S. nuclear weapons specialists also will help develop nuclear forensics capabilities to identify the origin of terrorist devices and thereby provide means to deter state transfers to terrorists of warheads and materials; as well as provide nuclear incident response and consequence management.

Nuclear research and development is currently focused on detecting nuclear warheads/materials being smuggled.

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