9-11 Inside Jobbers often cite the GLOBAL GUARDIAN exercises as evidence that 9-11 was an inside job. They fail to mention that these exercises are regularly held in October or November. If GLOBAL GUARDIAN was held on 9-11, then it was moved up a month. This schedule change went unreported. The GLOBAL GUARDIAN exercises were reportedly scheduled for October as late as 23 March 2001 in the SPACE OBSERVER, a USAF publication from Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado. So, when was the schedule changed?
What really happened? Amid the backdrop of Russian nuclear exercises Russia launched an unconventional nuclear and electronic attack on the United States on 11 September 2001. These were the opening moves of WW3. The United States in response enacted it's doomsday plan putting all of its E-4B "flying Pentagons" into the air. America's doomsday plan is to use airborne command and control to coordinate its strategic response. These airborne command and control centers hide in the "big sky." Some of the leadership hid in bunkers on the ground. Vice President Cheney hid in the PEOC under the White House for most of the day. But on 9-11 America's doomsday plans failed due to Russian communications jamming. This forced Bush to land Air Force One at Offutt AFB in Nebraska. Bush had to land, if he wanted to give the order to launch the missiles. Bush's landing at Offutt was essentially checkmate because the whereabouts of the President were now known and he could be targeted by Russia, if they had decided to attack with nuclear shaped charges. A 1 kiloton nuclear shaped charge can put a 10 foot diameter hole 1000 feet long in solid granite. President Bush would have been killed, if Russia had decided to follow up their unconventional attack and launch a full scale nuclear attack on 9-11.
So, the Bush Administration claimed that GLOBAL GUARDIAN exercises took place on 911 in order to cover-up the fact that America's doomsday/contingency of government plans had been put into effect and nullified by Russian communications jamming.
What really happened? Amid the backdrop of Russian nuclear exercises Russia launched an unconventional nuclear and electronic attack on the United States on 11 September 2001. These were the opening moves of WW3. The United States in response enacted it's doomsday plan putting all of its E-4B "flying Pentagons" into the air. America's doomsday plan is to use airborne command and control to coordinate its strategic response. These airborne command and control centers hide in the "big sky." Some of the leadership hid in bunkers on the ground. Vice President Cheney hid in the PEOC under the White House for most of the day. But on 9-11 America's doomsday plans failed due to Russian communications jamming. This forced Bush to land Air Force One at Offutt AFB in Nebraska. Bush had to land, if he wanted to give the order to launch the missiles. Bush's landing at Offutt was essentially checkmate because the whereabouts of the President were now known and he could be targeted by Russia, if they had decided to attack with nuclear shaped charges. A 1 kiloton nuclear shaped charge can put a 10 foot diameter hole 1000 feet long in solid granite. President Bush would have been killed, if Russia had decided to follow up their unconventional attack and launch a full scale nuclear attack on 9-11.
So, the Bush Administration claimed that GLOBAL GUARDIAN exercises took place on 911 in order to cover-up the fact that America's doomsday/contingency of government plans had been put into effect and nullified by Russian communications jamming.
SOURCES:
APOLLO GUARDIAN
http://www.basicint.org:80/pubs/Research/taking_pulse-3.htm
https://web.archive.org/web/20021121172909/http://www.basicint.org:80/pubs/Research/taking_pulse-3.htm#Planning
Taking the Pulse of the US Nuclear Arsenal
Fighter-Bomber Aircraft
The U.S. Air Force has several dozen fighter-bomber aircraft assigned to nuclear weapon missions with a total of 650 B61 bombs of various types. All non-strategic B61 nuclear weapons in the U.S. are thought to be based at Kirtland AFB in New Mexico and Nellis AFB in Nevada. Approximately 150 bombs are still deployed in seven European countries. The squadrons assigned to nuclear weapons missions, and the munitions personnel and base security force all undergo periodic nuclear weapons training, inspection, and certification.
Listed below the US and European bases where nuclear weapons are based.
Continental U.S. Bases
Holloman AFB, New Mexico
F-117A stealth aircraft of the 49th Wing are assigned to nuclear weapons missions. The aircraft is capable of carrying the B61 bomb.
Cannon AFB, New Mexico
F-16C/D Falcon aircraft of the 27th Wing are assigned to overseas operations with B61 nuclear weapons. The aircraft was also tested to carry the new B61-11 earth penetrating bomb.
European Bases
Kleine Brogel, Belgium
Some ten B61 bombs are based here for delivery by Belgian F-16A/B aircraft of the 10th Tactical Fighter Bomber Wing. U.S. control of weapons assigned to 52nd Munitions Support Squadron.
Büechel Air Base, Germany
About ten B61 stored here are earmarked for delivery by German PA-200 Tornado aircraft from the 33rd Fighter Bomber Wing. U.S. control of weapons assigned to 817th Munitions Support Squadron.
Ramstein Air Base, Germany
Approximately 15 B61 are deployed to the 86th Airlift Wing for delivery by U.S. F-16C/Ds that would deploy from continental United States.
Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany
Some twenty B61 bombs are assigned to the 52nd Fighter Wing.
Araxos Air Base, Greece
Approximately ten B61 bombs are earmarked for delivery by Greek A-7E aircraft of the 116th Combat Wing. Nuclear weapons are controlled by the U.S. 731st Munitions Support Squadron.
Aviano Air Base, Italy
Approximately twenty B61 bombs are assigned for the 31st Fighter Wing.
Ghedi-Torre Air Base, Italy
Approximately ten B61 bombs are earmarked for delivery by Italian PA-200 Tornado aircraft from the 6th Wing. The U.S. 31st Munitions Support Squadron is in control of the weapons.
Volkel, Netherlands
Approximately ten B61 bombs are based here for delivery by Dutch F-16A/B aircraft. The bombs are under control of the U.S. 752nd Munitions Support Squadron.
Incirlik Air Base, Turkey
Some 15 B61 bombs are kept here for delivery by aircraft from the 39th Wing. Control of the bombs is managed by the U.S. 39th Munitions Support Squadron.
RAF Lakenheath, England
Approximately thirty B61 bombs are stored at this base for delivery by U.S. F-15E aircraft of the 48th Fighter Wing.
Nuclear Warheads
The U.S. nuclear arsenal consists of some 8,400 operational warheads of 12 types.
Alterations and modifications are underway on almost all nuclear warhead types. This effort ranges from re-manufacturing of entire warheads to installment of individual components, and includes:
production of W88 warheads;
overhaul of the W76 warhead for the Trident SLBMs;
modernizations/alterations of various types of the B61 bomb including the planned production of primaries;
completing certification of the new B61-11 earth-penetrating bomb;
overhaul of the W87 warhead for the MX/Peacekeeper; and
modernizations to the B83 and the B83 Mod 1 bombs.
Many of these warheads and the fissile materials in them up are subject to a variety of tests and experiments in upcoming years. Types of tests include:
Hydro Tests, or hydrodynamic tests, are, according to the Deparment of Energy (DOE), "high-explosive nonuclear experiments to investigate hydrodynamic aspects of primary function up to mid to late stages of pit implosion." "Hydrodynamic" refers to the study of the motion of fluids.
Subcritical nuclear tests are, again according to the DOE, "scientific experiments to obtain technical information in support of DOE's responsibility to maintain the safety and reliability of the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile without nuclear testing. They will involve chemical high explosives to generate high pressures that will be applied to nuclear weapon materials, such as plutonium." See Nevada Test Site and Subcriticals section of the Nuclear Weapons Complex page for more information.
Below is the status of operational warheads in the U.S. arsenal:
W88
Some 384 W88 warheads are deployed on Trident II (D-5) missiles. There are approximately 400 total in the stockpile. Seven laboratory and three stockpile surveillance tests are scheduled for FY1999. All spare warheads will be used for ground and Hydro Tests, and a pit rebuild program to replace those warheads expended in surveillance will start in FY1998. Small-scale re-manufacturing is scheduled to begin at Los Alamos in FY2001. A development flight test for a remanufactured pit-warhead is scheduled for FY2000, and another development flight test is planned for FY2002 under the Replacement Warhead Project.
W87
About 525 W87s are in the stockpile, of which 500 are operational on MX/Peacekeeper missiles. The warhead is described by the DOE as "the most modern and safe warhead in the stockpile," but the W87 is nonetheless undergoing a Life Extension Program (Alt 342) which will modify the design to enhance structural integrity of the warhead.
W87 Warheads
for the MX missile
The W87 is the first warhead in the U.S. arsenal to undergo this process. The project includes above ground experiments and flight testing. Production of replacement parts will begin in FY1999 and the first refurbished warhead is scheduled to be completed in February 1999. Eight laboratory, three flight stockpile surveillance tests, and two Retrofit Evaluation System ground tests are scheduled for FY1999, and an annual Hydro Test is planned for the following three years. After the Peacekeeper is retired, modernized W87 warheads are scheduled to be transferred to some of the Minuteman III missiles the U.S. plans to retain under the START II agreement. This redeployment is scheduled to begin in FY2004. Rebuilding of W87 warheads intended for surveillance will resume in FY2010.
B84
Previously deployed on Ground-Launched Cruise Missiles (GLCMs), B84 warheads are now held in storage in the inactive stockpile. Two Hydro Tests were conducted in 1991 and one in 1998. Another is scheduled for FY2000. Surveillance samples are planned to be retired and the DOE is currently assessing whether to maintain the warhead in the inactive stockpile.
B83
Some 600 B63 warheads are in the arsenal, with about 480 operational on long-range bombers. Under project Alt 750, the bomb is being equipped with a new radar. An upgraded version, designated as B83 Mod 1, is scheduled to begin production in FY1999. Ten laboratory and three flight tests are planned for FY1999.
A B83 after a test drop
by parachute.
Five Hydro Tests were conducted in FY1998, and annual Hydro Tests are scheduled to begin in FY2000 alternating between warheads from the inactive and active stockpile. A new design neutron generator is scheduled to begin production in FY2013.
W80-1/ALCM
Some 400 W80-1/ALCM warheads on Air-Launched Cruise Missiles (ALCMs) are earmarked for delivery by B-52H bombers. ALCMs are being converted to conventional missions and about 940 are in storage with their warheads removed.
For this warhead and the two W80 warheads below, planning is underway to replace the neutron generator, with production scheduled to commence in late 2004. Six laboratory, six flight, and one Hydro Test are scheduled for FY1999.
W80-1/ACM
ACM in flight
Approximately 400 W80-1/ACM warheads in the operational arsenal are deployed on Advanced Cruise Missiles (ACMs) and assigned to long-range bombers. These warheads were originally deployed on ALCMs. The ACM first flew in 1985. It is approximately 20 feet long, 10 feet wide, and weighs in the neighborhood of 3,700 pounds.Its range is purported to be approximately 1,800 miles.
W80-0/SLCM
Approximately 320 W80-0/SCLM warheads on Submarine-Launched Cruise Missiles (SCLMs) are in the operational arsenal for deployment on submarines. These are stored at Yorktown Naval Weapon Station, Virginia, and Bangor, Washington. The SLCM, also known as the Tomahawk, is a long-range cruise missile that can be used against surface ships or land targets, employing conventional or nuclear warheads.
Nuclear-capable
Tomahawk SLCM
The recent US attacks on Afghanistan and Sudan were carried out with conventional Tomahawks. The missile entered submarine service in1983. Tomahawk missiles can be launched from standard 21-inch torpedo tubes on all submarines and, in the later Los Angeles (688I) class submarines, from vertical-launch tubes in the submarine's bow.
W78
W78 Warheads on
Minuteman III nose
About 915 W78 warheads are deployed on 300 Minuteman III missiles. New reservoirs and neutron generators are planned to modernize the warhead and improve performance. A Joint Life Extension Study will be completed in FY1999 to determine options for extending the life of the W78 for the enduring stockpile. Eight laboratory tests and three flight tests are scheduled for FY1999, and a limited Hydro Test series is currently under development with the first explosion planned for FY2001.
W76
Some 3,072 W76 warheads are on 384 Trident I C-4 and Trident II D-5 missiles, with a total of 3,200 in the stockpile. These warheads began Dual Revalidation in FY1996. The Department of Energy reported in March 1998 that it was half way through the project. Completion is scheduled for FY1999. The project is a robust peer review of the warhead's military characteristics, conducted by two independent review teams from the nuclear labs, assessing and evaluating its performance against revalidated military requirements. Three of six hydrodynamic tests were conducted in 1997 and six of 15 Arming, Fuzing and Firing systems were tested to the original production specifications. The major system tests are scheduled to take place in FY1998 and FY1999. The result will provide a modern baseline of the weapon, an evaluation of its current performance in the arsenal, and a new generation of scientists and personnel trained in its operation to ensure the warhead can remain a reliable part of the enduring nuclear arsenal well into the 21st century. Furthermore, under program Alt 317, the warhead is being refitted with a new neutron generator to improve performance. Production is scheduled to begin in 1999. Eight laboratory tests and three flight stockpile surveillance tests are planned for FY1999. A Hydro Test is proposed for FY2000.
W62
Approximately 610 W62 warheads are deployed on 200 Minuteman III missiles. As recent as in 1994, the Pentagon planned to retire W62 warheads in 2003. The warheads are expected to be replaced by W87s from the MX/Peacekeeper when the START II treaty is implemented. The DOE is evaluating whether to extend the life of the W62 for service in the enduring stockpile. Nine laboratory and two flight tests are scheduled for FY1999, and three Hydro Tests will be conducted in the period 1998-2000.
B61-7
Some 300 B61-7 are in the operational stockpile. Another 310 are in storage. Approximately 50 were converted to earth-penetrating missions as the B61-11 bomb. An improved 9S actuator is being installed as part of a Limited Life Component Exchange project (Alt 336), and a new radar is being installed.
For both the B61-7 and the B61-11 below, seven laboratory and four flight tests are scheduled during FY1999. A Hydro Test is planned for FY2001. A new primary for the B61-7/11 bombs will begin production in late 2002.
B61-11
About 50 B61-11 bombs are in the operational stockpile. This weapon is the newest in the US arsenal. First originated in 1993, the Mod 11 is designed as a "bunker buster" - capable of attacking hardened targets underground. The B61-11 is a replacement for the B53, which was assigned the bunker buster role because of its large yield. The Mod 11 is designed to penetrate targets before exploding, and thus in theory does not need as large a yield to fulfil its mission.
A B-2 bomber
drops a B61-11.
Conversion to full operational status of the B61-11 continues at Whiteman AFB, Missouri, and certification activities are expected to be completed in 1998 for standard stockpile acceptance in December 1998. See the B61-7 above for the Mod 11 test schedule.
B61-4/5/10
There are approximately 750 B61-4/5/10 warheads for use on F-15E, F-16, and F-117 aircraft. Several alterations are underway on the B61, including: Alt 335, which installs a Trajectory Sensing Signal Generator; Alt 336, which installs a new CF3087 cable; and Alt 339, which installs a Multiple Code Coded Switch Encryption Translator. A new nose is under development to equip the bomb with a modern radar to maintain system performance. Production is scheduled to begin in late 2002. During FY1999, 11 laboratory and 4 flight tests are scheduled, and the first in a series of biannual Hydrodynamic test is planned for FY2001. Development of a new primary is scheduled for FY2011 with production to begin in FY2012.
New warheads
At the nuclear laboratories, warhead development efforts continue, including a replacement warhead for the Trident II D-5 (Mk5) reentry vehicle, a stand-off glide bomb version (BIOS) of the B61-11 bomb, and several classified projects.
Nuclear War Planning
Nuclear war planning is centered at the U.S. Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM) in Offutt AFB, Nebraska, which has overall command over all U.S. nuclear weapons. The regional commands at Central Command, European Command, Pacific Command, and Southern Command (this link currently having problems) carry out regional nuclear planning and provide input to STRATCOM.
STRATCOM is responsible for the Single Integrated Operation Plan (SIOP). First drawn up in the early 1960s, the SIOP outlines a range of nuclear attack options coordinating the potential delivery of individual nuclear warheads by bombers, ballistic missiles, and cruise missiles against Russia, China, and a number of "rogue" states such as Iran, Iraq, Libya, North Korea, and Syria.
The current war plan that is in effect is SIOP 98, completed in October 1997 shortly before President Clinton issued new guidelines for nuclear war planning (Precidential Decision Directive 60). Planning for SIOP 99 began soon thereafter and the updated nuclear war plan will take effect in October 1998. In December 1998 and January 1999, nuclear planners will begin to update strike plans for bombers, ballistic missiles, and cruise missiles. The product of that effort will be SIOP 00, scheduled to take effect in October 1999.
To validate the nuclear war plans, STRATCOM conducts several nuclear war gaming exercises and seminars annually. This includes the Global Archer, Global Gardian, Bulwark Bronze, and Polo Hat exercises. Some of these exercises are conducted by STRATCOM alone or in conjunction with other commands such as Air Combat Command and the regional commands.
The CINC Strategic Planning Series (CSPS) game is conducted at least once a year, typically in early September, shortly before completion of the annual revision of the SIOP. The game generally focuses on near-term SIOP operational readiness or future force structure capabilities addressing such topics as for structure requirements, deterrent contributions, or war-fighting capabilities. It is carried out in support of the CINC, Senior Battle Staff, USSTRATCOM staff, and USSTRATCOM Task Force Commanders.
Global Archer, a large-scale quarterly exercise program, is intended to test, evaluate, and refine procedures and plans for nuclear strike and nuclear follow-up strike scenarios. The Global Archer exercises are accompanied by the Global Support Seminar (GSS) held each year, normally in early February, to explore issues associated with the Theater Nuclear Support (TNS) process. Global Guardian exercises are held in October-November each year to practice TNS operations in tactical nuclear operations in, for example, the European or Pacific theaters.
Nuclear Weapons Complex
In the absence of nuclear weapons test explosions and the halt to the development of "new" nuclear weapons, the United States is designing an ambitious program which involves building a wide range of facilities that will be capable of simulating physical conditions and engineering designs as close to actual nuclear weapons explosion conditions as possible. The Department of Energy plans to spend $4.5 billion on nuclear weapons activities in FY1999, a 15 percent increase in spending over FY1997. Facilities currently under construction will provide the capability to research and develop both primary and secondary aspects of modern nuclear weapons without nuclear weapons test explosions. The two-part objective is, one, to maintain about a dozen different nuclear warhead designs in the operational nuclear arsenal for the indefinite future, and two, remanufacture or modify existing nuclear warheads to replace defect or outdated models to serve current and future missions.
Central to achieving this capability is the construction and/or modernization of hydro-test facilities, advanced lasers, limited production lines, and advanced computer facilities. Hydrodynamic testing is the principle experimental technique for studying the implosion phase of a nuclear weapon, and laser facilities will enable weapons scientists to do on a minute scale what until recently required a live test explosion of a nuclear warhead.
Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL)
In 1998, the U.S. will re-open a production line for the manufacturing of plutonium cores for nuclear warheads. The production will build pits for replacement warheads in the arsenal beginning with Trident II W88 warheads in FY2001. However, already in FY1998, the program will have advanced so far as to begin production of a single pit per year verifying that Los Alamos National Laboratory has the capability to build war reserve pits. In FY1999, manufacturing will begin of a limited number of pits for certification and later deployment into the operational nuclear stockpile. Up to 10 pits will be manufactured per year by FY2001. By FY2007, the year the START II treaty cuts are to have been achieved, the Los Alamos production line will be able to produce 20 new pits a year. In addition, a plan is being developed to allow manufacturing up to 50 pits a year with a single shift of personnel. Development of a contingency plan for producing even larger quantities is on hold until more experience has been obtained from the current production line.
Also under construction at LANL is the Dual Axis Radiographic Hydrodynamic Test (DARHT). When completed, this will be the most advanced facility for hydrodynamic experiments to validate the implosion performance of nuclear warhead primaries. The DARHT will serve as one of the principle tools for evaluating and ensuring the reliability of the nuclear stockpile. Through full-size hydrodynamic tests of non-nuclear mockups, the DARHT will be used to validate the implosion of nuclear weapons primaries. The first axis of the test firing facility will be operational by June 1999 about which time long-lead procurement will begin for other aspects of the facility. A decision is scheduled to be made before 2003 whether to build an advanced hydrotest facility to further enhance the capability to simulate nuclear weapon implosions.
LANL will also be the location of the ATLAS facility, a new pulsed-power machine approved by the DOE in June 1998. When completed in the fall of 2000, ATLAS will be used to simulate the implosion of plutonium in nuclear warheads. By using intense bursts of electrical current directed against a small target, samples of plutonium will implode, compressing the material to extreme pressures similar to those inside an exploding nuclear warhead. ATLAS will have the capability to simulate both nuclear weapons primaries and secondaries. Construction cost is $43 million and ATLAS is expected to operate for 20 years.
Sandia National Laboratory (SNL)
Sandia is the location of the Z-pulse power facility which conducts x-ray pulse experiments to validate performance of nuclear warhead components. The facility saw an "extraordinary increase" in performance in 1997 and in 1998 the Z machine will perform about 200 x-ray shots in support of nuclear weapons maintenance. The DOE is currently considering a proposal to fund construction of an advanced accelerator at SNL capable of producing high-yield fusion. If funded, the X-1 would achieve initial operating capability in 2007 and produce high-yield fusion by about 2010.
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL)
Under construction at LLNL is the National Ignition Facility (NIF), the world’s largest laser. NIF is among the most important experimental facilities to test the advanced computational capabilities needed to check the performance of nuclear weapons. When completed, NIF will able come near to simulating the pressure, temperature, and density that occurs during the detonation of a nuclear weapons. NIF will be used to examine boosting of warhead primaries. For the first time, it will also be possible in the laboratory to study radiation physics in an environment close to that which exists in a nuclear weapons secondary. NIF will also be used to study weapons effects and for improving and validating new physics models and computer codes for nuclear warheads developed by the Accelerated Strategic Computing Initiative (see below). Construction of NIF was begun in May 1997 and is scheduled to be completed in the fall of 2003. The total cost will be, at a minimum, $1.2 billion. Startup activities are scheduled to begin in FY2001, and will include experiments with the eight first lasers.
Other laser programs at LLNL include the Strategic Materials Applications Program (SMAP) which, among other applications, develops technologies for using advanced lasers to produce uranium and plutonium for nuclear weapons.
LLNL is also the location of the Flash X-Ray (FXR) facility which is used to investigate the performance of nuclear weapons primaries. In 1995, for example, both the W84 and W87 warhead were subject to tests to investigate behavior near the end of the implosion face. LLNL is hydro-testing "all LLNL weapon designs using our most modern experimental capabilities and numerical models to gain up-to-date insight into their safety and performance". A three-year upgrade of FXR was completed in 1995, another upgrade was begun in October that year, and in 1996 work was begun to convert the facility to a Contained Firing Facility. This facility is the most versatile and complete test firing facility in the world.
Nevada Test Site (NTS) and Subcritical Nuclear Tests
Established in 1950 as the Atomic Energy Commission's on-continent proving ground, the Nevada Test Site has been the site of over 900 atmospheric and underground nuclear tests. Since the nuclear weapons testing moratorium in 1992 and under the direction of the Department of Energy (DOE), other nuclear-related work has expanded.
The Department of Energy, as part of its Stockpile Stewardship and Management Program, is conducting "subcritical" explosions involving small amounts of plutonium at NTS each year. These experiments are carried out in the U1a Experimental Facility almost 1000 feet below the surface. They provide information about the behavior of nuclear materials during the implosion phase of a nuclear warhead.
U1a Facility:
Location of Subcriticals
Although the amount and configuration of plutonium used in the experiments is designed so that no nuclear explosion will take place, the objective is the same as with full-scale nuclear test explosions: to obtain data about the performance of nuclear warheads. The data obtained is used to further develop computer simulation capabilities and to certify the performance of nuclear weapons in the operational stockpile.
Two subcritical experiments were conducted at the NTS in 1997, "Rebound" on 2 July, and "Holog" on 18 September. On 25 March 1998, "Stagecoach" was conducted, followed by "Bagpipe" on 26 September and "Cimarron" on 9 December. In 1999, "Clarinet" was conducted on 9 February. Two to four more subcritical explosions are planned to be conducted at the NTS in FY1999. The United States maintains that these tests do not violate the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). The US has signed but not yet ratified the CTBT. Other countries have protested these tests.
A plan to upgrade the U1a facility to future needs will be completed in 1998. In addition to these experiments, the overall NTS is maintained at a 2-3 year readiness to resume nuclear testing in the future if necessary.
NTS is also the location of the Big Explosives Experimental Facility (BEEF), designed to contain the detonation of conventional explosives. The facility is used to carry out hydrodynamic experiments to test the implosion process in a nuclear warhead.
Tritium Production Facility
In 1998, the DOE will decide whether to use a civilian nuclear power plant or an accelerator to produce tritium for the nuclear warheads. Fuel rods are currently being irradiated in the reactor core of the TVA power plant in Tennessee to test the feasibility of producing nuclear bomb fuel in a civilian reactor. If the decision is made to use a civilian reactor as the primary tritium production facility, production is scheduled to begin in FY2003, the same year the START II treaty is intended to enter into force. Actual extraction of the tritium would begin by FY2005.
Accelerated Strategic Computing System (ASCI)
In the wake of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, the United States has begun an extensive multi-million dollar effort to replace live nuclear weapons test explosions with high-performance computer simulation. Commonly referred to as the Accelerated Strategic Computing System, the three nuclear weapons labs and a number of private industries are currently building up a capability not only to test the reliability and safety of nuclear weapons but also to explore advanced nuclear designs. The result is that less than 10 years after President Clinton signed the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, the United States will be capable of maintaining a nuclear deterrent indefinitely without nuclear testing.
Overall, at least five different projects are underway aiming at achieving computer simulations with a 100 trillion operations per second (teraflops) capability by 2004. This computer simulation capability is needed for realistic weapon system modeling (and aging) and will be used to perform sustained nuclear weapons simulations and evaluate the reliability (performance), storage, accidents, and aging factors of nuclear weapons, as well as support annual certification of the warheads in the enduring arsenal. One specific purpose is to conduct "next generation [nuclear] weapon simulations."
In February 1998, the DOE signed a $85 million contract with the IBM Corporation for building a 10 trillion-operations-per-second computer system. The computer will be built at LLNL and completed in 2000. According to a LLNL press release, the goal of ASCI’s is not only to "develop the capability to simulate nuclear weapons’ behavior to ensure their safety and reliability over the long term," but also to be able to "calculate improved weapon physics."
Pantex Plant
The Pantex Plant is used to retrofit, maintain, and repair nuclear weapons in the stockpile, fabricate chemical high explosives for nuclear weapons, disassembly of nuclear weapons being retired from the stockpile, and interim storage of plutonium components from dismantled weapons. The facility also handles uranium, plutonium, and tritium components for the nuclear weapons.
Kansas City Plant
This is the principal fabrication facility for non-nuclear components for U.S. nuclear weapons. Production includes electrical, electronic, electromechanical, plastic, and metallic components; fuzing and firing systems and composite structures; telemetry assemblies and neutron detectors for flight test assemblies; as well as test equipment capable of performing electrical and mechanical tests on non-nuclear nuclear weapon components. During FY1999, the plant will produce tritium/deuterium reservoirs for the B61 and W88 warheads and plan production of reservoirs for the W76, W78, W80, and W87 warheads.
