A recent report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) has confirmed that the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) faces multiple challenges in managing the U.S. Armed Forces’ nuclear arsenal. Broadly, the GAO report highlights the need for the NNSA to “prioritize” and “allocate resources to the most critical technologies.”
The Administration is currently developing nuclear warheads for new delivery systems such as the Sentinel ICBM and the Long-Range Stand-Off (LRSO) cruise missile. According to GAO findings, the NNSA is experiencing delays in these new nuclear weapons programs due to an insufficient number of supervisors, as well as “inconsistent policies and materials across programs.”
It is crucial that the Pentagon and the NNSA maintain close coordination to avoid delays in their schedules. For this reason, the GAO recommended that the Administration “formally and comprehensively document the process that its nuclear weapons acquisition programs must follow to identify critical technologies,” the report states.
Undoubtedly, the NNSA must push forward with pending programs; however, the multiplicity of projects complicates cost estimation, scheduling, and technological readiness. The GAO confirmed that most programs have not reached the minimum readiness levels required to begin the development phase. Many, particularly warhead programs, are facing delays.
For example, the W80-4 warhead life extension program, which will equip the LRSO missile, is one year behind its planned schedule, with completion now expected in 2033. Similarly, the W88-Alt 370 program, which modifies the W88 warhead used in submarine-launched ballistic missiles, began production in 2022 and is set to conclude in 2025, albeit with cost overruns. Meanwhile, the W87-1 modification program, intended to replace the W78 warhead and be deployed with the LGM-35 Sentinel ICBM, is also facing cost overruns and production delays.
