An alteration is a limited scope change that affects assembly, tests, maintenance, and/or storage of weapons. NNSA also conducts alterations of weapons at the system, sub-system, or component level to make sure the weapons are safe, secure, and effective. By extending the time that a weapon can safely and reliably remain in the stockpile, NNSA is able to maintain a credible nuclear deterrent without producing new weapons or conducting underground nuclear explosive tests. Life extension programs also require NNSA to certify the weapon’s protected period - its new lifetime - for 20 to 30 years. When planning life extension programs, NNSA must develop specific solutions to extend the lifetime of each weapon type because each is unique. A life extension program comprehensively analyzes all of a weapon’s components and determines whether to reuse, refurbish or replace them to extend the service life of the weapon. These life extensions address aging and performance issues, enhance safety features, and improve security.Īs with any complex mechanical system, components in nuclear weapons degrade over time, even when kept in storage. The Stockpile Stewardship Program enables NNSA to extend the lifespan and ensure the continued safety, reliability, and effectiveness of weapons that have reached the end of their original design life through life extension programs. In a joint collaboration, NNSA is working to accelerate delivery of a capable exascale computing ecosystem for breakthroughs in scientific discovery, energy assurance, economic competitiveness, and national security through the Exascale Computing Project. By continually developing and deploying credible, science-based simulation tools to certify the current and future stockpile, the program assures confidence in the nation’s nuclear deterrent. The Advanced Simulation and Computing program’s high-performance simulation and computing capabilities inform critical Stockpile Stewardship decisions. Read more about high-performance computing. Advanced technology systems are delivered to weapon physicists and engineers as tri-laboratory resources, to take on the most challenging simulation problems of the day: NNSA delivers leading-edge computer platforms, sophisticated physics and engineering codes, and uniquely qualified staff to support addressing a wide variety of stockpile issues for design, physics certification, engineering qualification, and production.
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