United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office Resources, Community, and Economic Development Division author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 1996-07-31 monographic deposited born digital 18 p. GA 1.13:RCED-96-216 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-RCED-96-216 P0b002ee18037b180 f:rc96216 DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-28 GAOREPORTS-RCED-96-216 machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-RCED-96-216 RCED-96-216 Nuclear weapons testing Atomic energy defense activities Test facilities Missile warheads Intercontinental ballistic missiles Nuclear weapons plant safety Advanced weapons systems Safety regulation Safety standards DOE Nuclear Weapons Stockpile Surveillance Program ICBM W62 Warhead Minuteman III Missile W78 Warhead W87 Warhead W88 Warhead Trident II Missile Peacekeeper Missile DOE Nuclear Explosive Safety Study DOE Stockpile Management Preferred Alternatives Report Letter Report RCED Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information on the Department of Energy's (DOE) Nuclear Weapons Stockpile Surveillance program, focusing on DOE efforts to get the testing program on schedule.<p/>GAO found that: (1) DOE is behind schedule in conducting flight tests, nonnuclear system laboratory tests, and nuclear and nonnuclear component laboratory tests; (2) these schedule slippages are a result of unapproved safety studies, suspended testing at certain nuclear facilities, and inappropriate transfer of testing functions; (3) DOE has reduced its plan for testing the Air Force's intercontinental ballistic missiles from three tests per year to two tests per year; (4) flight testing of W88 warheads is suspended until a safety study plan is approved; (5) DOE has taken actions to increase the number of stockpile surveillance tests, but DOE does not have formal contingency plans for continuous stockpile testing; (6) one DOE facility is unable to conduct surveillance tests due to procedural safety problems; (7) DOE uses the Stockpile Management Preferred Alternative Report to determine alternative locations for weapons testing depending on the nature of the problem at the original testing facility, length and time of the outage, and particular weapon involved; and (8) DOE prefers to develop a specific plan of action after testing problems occur to confront the wide range of problems and variables involved in the surveillance testing process. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-RCED-96-216/html/GAOREPORTS-RCED-96-216.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-RCED-96-216/pdf/GAOREPORTS-RCED-96-216.pdf GAO/RCED-96-216 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-RCED-96-216 Letter Report GAO/RCED-96-216; Nuclear Weapons: Improvements Needed to DOE's Nuclear Weapons Stockpile Surveillance Program; Nuclear weapons testing Atomic energy defense activities Test facilities Missile warheads Intercontinental ballistic missiles Nuclear weapons plant safety Advanced weapons systems Safety regulation Safety standards DOE Nuclear Weapons Stockpile Surveillance Program ICBM W62 Warhead Minuteman III Missile W78 Warhead W87 Warhead W88 Warhead Trident II Missile Peacekeeper Missile DOE Nuclear Explosive Safety Study DOE Stockpile Management Preferred Alternatives Report