Nuclear Matters

Abstract

The mission of Nuclear Matters is to ensure the continued credibility, safety, security, resiliency, and effectiveness of the U.S. nuclear deterrent to deter adversaries, assure allies and partners, and achieve U.S. objectives if deterrence fails—today and in the future. Nuclear Matters serves as the Department of Defense (DoD) focal point for the modernization and sustainment of the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile, as well as for a wide range of nuclear counter-terrorism and counter-proliferation issues. The funds for this program are used to support research, development, test and evaluation efforts as well as studies and analyses for nuclear weapons modernization, sustainment, security, use control, nuclear weapons stockpile safety, and survivability requirements. Funds are also used to develop and implement plans for the future of the stockpile and broader nuclear deterrent; infrastructure analyses and assessments; DoD-National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) Nuclear Weapons Council (NWC) activities, as mandated by Title 10 U.S. Code, section 179; radiological and nuclear emergency response efforts; and management of international programs of nuclear cooperation, particularly with respect to enhancing international nuclear safety and security. Nuclear Matters is also responsible for policy development and implementation for personnel reliability; nuclear weapons, nuclear command and control, and special nuclear materials security; use control; nuclear weapons transportation; physical security equipment; countering nuclear threats; and nuclear and radiological incident response. Additionally, Nuclear Matters serves as a focal point for DoD activities and initiatives related to countering the threat from nuclear terrorism and nuclear proliferation. Nuclear Matters is leading a series of efforts to provide data-driven support to integrated portfolio management for 21st century nuclear deterrent sustainment and modernization. The United States is modernizing all three legs of its nuclear triad and is also reconstituting its nuclear weapons production capability at roughly the same time, while simultaneously sustaining weapons and systems that have aged well beyond their original design lives. The NWC and similar bodies seek to manage the transition from legacy Cold War delivery systems and weapons to replacement systems and warheads and make decisions that will affect U.S. national security through the end of the 21st century. To field a modern, threat-informed, nuclear deterrent that will keep pace with evolving adversary capabilities, it is necessary to conduct a variety of assessment and study efforts to enable data-driven decisions concerning the future of the U.S. nuclear deterrent. As part of the implementation of the 2022 Nuclear Posture Review, Nuclear Matters will lead a nuclear integration and analysis effort to enable risk and opportunity analysis to inform Secretary of Defense and Deputy Secretary of Defense decision-making. This effort will leverage advanced data analytics, enterprise risk management, and modeling and simulation tools across the nuclear deterrent portfolio to support data-driven decisions by the Nuclear Weapons Council and the newly formed Nuclear Deputy's Management Action Group which, "provide[s] senior leaders a comprehensive and strategic view of the state of the enterprise and prioritize[s] actions for executive decision.”

Document Details

• Document Type: Project
• Publication Date: Oct 01, 2024
• Source ID: 161_0605161D8Z_6_0400_PB_2024

Tags

Fields of Study

• Physics

Readers

• Enterprise Information Systems Architecture and Joint Command Capability Interoperability Support.
• Nuclear Non-Proliferation and International Security
• Strategic Security Studies

Technology Areas

• Fully Networked C3
• Fully Networked C3 - Command and Control