Nuclear Weapons: Action Needed to Address the W80-4 Warhead Program's Schedule Constraints

Abstract

To maintain and modernize the U.S. nuclear arsenal, NNSA and DOD conduct LEPs. In 2014, they began an LEP to produce a warhead, the W80-4, to be carried on the LRSO missile. In February 2019, NNSA adopted an FPU delivery date of fiscal year 2025 for the W80-4 LEP, at an estimated cost of about $11.2 billion over the life of the program. The explanatory statement accompanying the 2018 appropriation included a provision for GAO to review the W80-4 LEP. This report examines, among other objectives, (1) the risks NNSA has identified for the W80-4 LEP, and processes it has established to manage them, and (2) the extent to which NNSAs lifecycle cost estimate for the LEP aligned with best practices. GAO reviewed NNSAs risk management database and other program information; visited four NNSA sites; interviewed NNSA and DOD officials; and assessed the programs cost estimate using best practices established in prior GAO work.

Document Details

• Document Type: Technical Report
• Publication Date: Jul 01, 2020
• Accession Number: AD1123107

Entities

People

• Allison B. Bawden

Organizations

• United States Government Accountability Office

Tags

Communities of Interest

• Counter WMD
• Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

• Additive Manufacturing
• Air Force
• Ballistic Missiles
• Best Practices
• Bombs
• Business Administration
• Congress
• Cost Estimates
• Department Of Defense
• Explosives
• Government Procurement
• Governments
• High Explosives
• Insensitive Explosives
• Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles
• Manufacturing
• National Security
• Nuclear Warheads
• Nuclear Weapons
• Risk Analysis
• United States
• United States Government
• United States Strategic Command

Readers

• Defense Acquisition Program Management
• Nuclear Non-Proliferation and International Security