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Glenn Mara
Weapons Engineering
Bret Knapp
Weapons Physics
Charles McMillan

Reducing
Our Footprint

Joe Martz at the Bradbury Science Museum

NNSA Changes Lab's Scope

LANL has been selected as NNSA's preferred alternative site for plutonium research, development and manufacturing, nuclear weapons design and engineering, and supercomputing.

What Complex Transformation means to NNSA

Flexibility and Focus to Meet New Challenges

The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) recently announced its complex-wide transformation plans for the next decade. This plan, called Complex Transformation, proposes changes to both work scope and infrastructure at all NNSA sites to enable long-term transformation of the nation's nuclear weapons enterprise to be more responsive to the nation's security challenges.

Reliable and Responsive Science

What Complex Transformation means to Scientist Joe Martz

Finding a Better Way to Provide a Deterrent

"Years ago, former Lab director Norris Bradbury expressed the need for us to find a better way to provide a deterrent and security for our nation. Complex Transformation is a realization of a life-long goal for me: we become the protectors of our security!

"I believe there now exists a means to protect our national security while lessening the cost of nuclear deterrence, and the Laboratory sits at the heart of that means. It's the idea of a capability-based deterrent.

"NNSA Administrator Tom D'Agostino said in 2007 that, 'Because our nuclear weapons stockpile is decreasing, the United States' future deterrent cannot be based on the old Cold War model of the number of weapons. Rather, it must be based on the capability to respond to any national security situation, and make weapons only if necessary.'

"The NNSA preferred alternative is based on this idea—and because of this, I believe it is a progressive, realistic, forward-looking proposal deserving of support."

Joe Martz, from his Community Leaders breakfast talk, 2/28/08

"My View, Joe Martz" - Currents article, 3-08
html | pdf
"My View, Glenn Mara" - Currents article, 2-08
html | pdf

Looking Towards the Future

What Complex Transformation means to New Mexico and the World

Safer with Less

Overall, Complex Transformation will allow the United States to continue reducing the existing nuclear stockpile to less than 50% of its 2001 level, making it the smallest stockpile since 1950s.

LANL's unique combination of capabilities and collaborative environment, supported by the world's top scientific minds, will allow it to

reduce its nuclear operations footprint by nearly 50%
reduce its building footprint by 20%
reduce number of staff supporting related weapons activities by 20% by 2018

resources

LANL: National Security