A FLEXIBLE DEFENSE

Refurbishing the Stockpile

Originally designed to last about ten years, the warheads in the U.S. stockpile are now 15 to 30 years old. To ensure that these weapons remain safe and reliable, the Laboratory conducts yearly assessments on weapons systems.

In some instances, such assessments lead to recommendations that certain components and materials be replaced, redesigned, or rebuilt. These refurbishments are conducted through a formal Stockpile Life Extension Program.

Planning Ahead

Working with organizations throughout the Nuclear Weapons Complex, Los Alamos plans and executes all engineering facets of a refurbishment, making sure that physics requirements for material and component behaviors are met in the absence of new data from underground nuclear testing. To achieve this goal, researchers perform computer simulations and conduct non-nuclear experiments and analyses to ensure that any changes to the warhead meet performance requirements for the weapon system established by the Department of Defense.

Training Stewards

Extended warhead lifetimes require that the Laboratory train a new cadre of weapons scientists who will be knowledgeable about the warheads.

To meet this goal, the Laboratory established the Joint Nuclear Explosives Training Facility, which provides hands-on training for weapon engineers, technicians, and others involved in nuclear-weapons design, fabrication, assembly, and testing.