Nuclear weapons: NNSA does not have a comprehensive schedule or cost estimate for pit production capability : report to congressional committees / United States Government Accountability Office.

Format:

Book

Government document

Author/Creator:

United States. Government Accountability Office, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

United States. National Nuclear Security Administration--Appropriations and expenditures.

United States.

United States. National Nuclear Security Administration.

Plutonium--United States--Management.

Plutonium.

Nuclear weapons--United States--Management--Evaluation.

Nuclear weapons.

Military planning.

Planning--Evaluation.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (iv, 77 pages) : color illustrations, color map

Other Title:

Nuclear weapons: National Nuclear Security Administration does not have a comprehensive schedule or cost estimate for pit production capability

NNSA does not have a comprehensive schedule or cost estimate for pit production capability

GAO-23-104661 Nuclear weapons

Place of Publication:

Washington, DC : United States Government Accountability Office, 2023.

Summary:

The United States has not regularly manufactured plutonium pits since 1989. Military and legal requirements direct DOE to have capacity to produce no fewer than 80 pits per year by 2030. NNSA plans to sustain this capability into the future. According to a May 2020 NNSA report to Congress, reestablishing a pit production capability is considered critical to maintaining the nation's nuclear weapons stockpile. But because plutonium is dangerous and must be handled carefully, the production of pits for nuclear warheads is difficult and expensive. Officials testified in 2022 that 80 pits per year will not be achievable by 2030. This report examines (1) the scope of NNSA's efforts to achieve the required production capability of 80 pits per year; and (2) the extent to which NNSA has met GAO best practices for an integrated master schedule and a life cycle cost estimate for achieving the capability to manufacture 80 pits per year. GAO is making one recommendation to NNSA to develop a life cycle cost estimate that aligns with GAO cost estimating best practices.

Contents:

Background.

NNSA's plutonium pit production scope of work includes dozens of programs, projects, and other activities managed by multiple NNSA offices at multiple sites.

NNSA does not have a comprehensive schedule or cost estimate for establishing its pit production capability.

Conclusions.

Recommendation for executive action.

Agency comments and our evaluation.

Appendices.

Notes:

"January 2023."

"GAO-23-104661."

In scope of the U.S. Government Publishing Office Catalog and Indexing Program (C&I) and Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP).

Includes bibliographical references.

Description based on online resource; title from PDF title page (GAO, viewed May 26, 2023).

OCLC:

1380371890