United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 2008-05-23 monographic deposited born digital GA 1.13:GAO-08-593 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-593 P0b002ee1803a1779 f:d08593 DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-24 GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-593 machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-593 GAO-08-593 Agency missions Cost analysis Defense capabilities Design specifications Facility construction Facility maintenance Industrial facilities Missile warheads Nuclear facilities Nuclear warfare Nuclear waste storage Nuclear weapons Quality control Radioactive waste disposal Requirements definition Standards Standards evaluation Strategic planning Warfare Weapons industry Cost estimates Program goals or objectives Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) W88 Warhead Reliable Replacement Warhead Other Written Product A82187 The Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) is responsible for manufacturing pits, a key component in a nuclear warhead. The department lost its ability to manufacture pits in 1989 with the closing of the Rocky Flats Plant. In 1996, the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) was directed to reestablish a pit manufacturing capability, starting with a limited number of pits for the W88 warhead. In recent years, NNSA has considered ways to increase its pit manufacturing capacity, including building a new, large-scale pit manufacturing facility. It has also proposed producing pits for the Reliable Replacement Warhead (RRW). GAO was asked to determine the (1) extent to which NNSA achieved its major goals for reestablishing its pit manufacturing capability, (2) factors that currently constrain its ability to increase its pit manufacturing capacity, and (3) status of its plans for future pit manufacturing. For this review, GAO met with NNSA and LANL officials, reviewed agency documents, and visited the nuclear facility used to manufacture pits. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-593/html/GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-593.htm GAO-08-593 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-GAO-08-593 Other Written Product GAO-08-593; Nuclear Weapons: NNSA Needs to Establish a Cost and Schedule Baseline for Manufacturing a Critical Nuclear Weapon Component; Agency missions Cost analysis Defense capabilities Design specifications Facility construction Facility maintenance Industrial facilities Missile warheads Nuclear facilities Nuclear warfare Nuclear waste storage Nuclear weapons Quality control Radioactive waste disposal Requirements definition Standards Standards evaluation Strategic planning Warfare Weapons industry Cost estimates Program goals or objectives Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) W88 Warhead Reliable Replacement Warhead Public Law 108-447