Nuclear Weapons

The Energy Department (DOE) is responsible to managing the nation's nuclear weapons stockpile, including a limited life components program. That program involves the periodic replacement of components to prevent the nuclear weapon from becoming inoperative. DOE appears able to provide limited life components for nuclear weapons as long as the active stockpile does not increase significantly. DOE lacks enough production capacity for some key components if weapons from the inactive stockpile are reactivated. DOE's Albuquerque Operations Office plans to expand production capacity of these key components. This expansion, if completed on time, will allow DOE to meet the Production and Planning Directive's requirements by providing the capacity to support weapons that may be reactivated. Initially, DOE considered delaying the expansions by not funding them in fiscal year 1997. However, DOE told its Albuquerque Office in October 1996 to make the expansions a priority and to fund them during fiscal year 1997.

GAO noted that: (1) DOE appears to be capable of providing limited life components for nuclear weapons in the nation's active stockpile, as long as the size of the stockpile does not significantly increase; (2) DOE currently does not have enough production capacity for certain key components if weapons from the inactive stockpile are reactivated; (3) DOE's Albuquerque Operations Office has developed plans to expand production capacity of these key components; (4) this expansion, if completed on time, will allow DOE to meet the Production and Planning Directive's requirements by providing the capacity to support weapons that may be reactivated; (5) initially, DOE considered delaying the expansions by not funding them in fiscal year (FY) 1997; and (6) however, in October 1996, DOE directed its Albuquerque Operations Office to make the expansions high-priority activities and to fund them during FY 1997.