W80 Warhead Cost, It was designed for deployment on cruise missil
W80 Warhead Cost, It was designed for deployment on cruise missiles and is the warhead used in the majority of nuclear-armed US Air Force ALCM and ACM missiles, and their US Navy counterpart, the BGM-109 Tomahawk. 2 billion. W80 Mod 1 warhead W80 Mod 4 warhead for the LRSO program. ALCM Development The ALCM program began in the early 1970s, designed to give A W80 alteration for the sea-based weapon will run on the same production line as the air-based weapon, similar to the way the agency handled a variant of the Navy’s smaller submarine-launched ballistic-missile warhead in 2019. In January 2019, about a year before the COVID-19 pandemic, NNSA’s Cost Estimating and Program Evaluation office, which is not part of the W80-4 program office, estimated that the warhead’s first production unit would probably be in fiscal year 2026 instead of fiscal year 2025. S. Archived from the original on 16 January 2023. Air Force is developing a nuclear-capable Long-Range Standof (LRSO) cruise missile. GAO assessed the W80-4 program's cost estimate of $11. 5—first production, and Phase 6. nuclear weapons equals the sum of warheads and bombs. W80 Mod 4 warhead for the LRSO program. 2 billion over the life of the program. nuclear warhead capabilities and its implications for the U. 8 billion in 2025. The W80-4 Life Extension Program will ensure the effectiveness of the bomber leg of the nuclear triad when coupled with the Air Force’s Long Range Standoff Cruise Missile. is extending the lifetime of its warhead, the W80-1, through the W80-4 Life Extension Program (LEP In March 2023, NNSA’s Deputy Administrator for Defense Programs approved the W80-4 Life Extension Program (LEP) to transition into Phase 6. Archived from the original on 27 September 2023. Overview NNSA’s warhead modernization activities ensure that the U. The B61-12 nuclear warhead life extension program has experienced a schedule delay and the W80-4 LEP’s cost estimate has been raised to $12 billion, according to a watchdog investigation. ^ Tirpak, John A. Using these definitions, the total number of U. 2 billion program. Throughout the history of nuclear weapons development, the United States has produced families of warheads based on a single-warhead design. For the W87-1, the team will establish a baseline cost for the W87-1 during the next step, Phase 6. The W80 is the warhead used on the three cruise missiles currently in the U. “U. To develop a comprehensive cost estimate, NNSA instituted processes to help ensure consistency across the program. Program execution will focus on meeting NNSA’s product realization At the high end, the US would expand its arsenal to deploy 6,000 total warheads on up to 1,600 strategic delivery vehicles at up to $439 billion for acquisition and from $24 to $28 billion per year in operations and sustainment costs. warheads were designed and manufactured until the late 1980s and early 1990s,” says Juliana Hsu, Livermore physicist and W87-1 program manager. (21 April 2022). The cruise missiles cost roughly $1 million each. Jul 24, 2020 · GAO assessed the W80-4 program's cost estimate of $11. nuclear arsenal, NNSA and DOD conduct LEPs. e W78 warhead deployed on the Minuteman III ballistic missile. Final: Adopts the Senate provision but makes the language permissive rather than directive (Sec. 1621) This year’s SSMP details NNSA’s efforts to establish the capability to produce a minimum of 80 plutonium pits per year; achieve the First Production Units of the W80-4 Life Extension Program (LEP), W87-1 Modification Program, and W93 warhead; maintain production of the B61-12 LEP and W88 Alteration 370 warheads; establish a program of Description As part of the efort to keep the nuclear arsenal safe, secure, and efective, the U. -UK and NATO relations. [8] This year’s SSMP details DOE/NNSA’s efforts to accomplish program requirements to produce 80 plutonium pits per year; achieve the first production units for the W80-4 Life Extension Program (LEP), W87-1 Modification Program, and W93; and continue production of the B61-12 LEP and W88 Alteration 370 warheads. They weigh 1300-1600 kg depending on boosters. In 1982 the U. Tomahawk has a modular design, allowing a wide variety of warhead, guidance, and range capabilities, including nuclear W80 warheads. Significant enough differences between a bomb or warhead variant, per direction from NNSA, result in further identification as a modification (Mod) to an existing design. The term “warhead-type” is used to denote a population of weapons with the same design. 12K subscribers in the nuclearweapons community. They developed warhead design options and technologies to make the W80-4 one of the safest and most secure systems in the stockpile. Nov 1, 2013 · Thus, the total cost for each submarine-based nuclear warhead would be roughly $200 million. The Future The W80-4 LEP’s next stage will be Phase 6. NNSA’s modernization efforts address aging, unavailability of certain replacement parts, potential deterrence gaps, and integration with DoD’s modernized nuclear weapons delivery systems without the NEWSLETTER Join the GlobalSecurity. The AGM-86 Air-Launched Cruise Missile (ALCM) is a long-range, air-launched standoff missile designed to give U. Sandia’s California systems engineering team led the W80-4’s initial design phases in partnership with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, the lead nuclear design agency, and NNSA production plants. NNSA develops warhead designs to meet these requirements and is ultimately responsible for producing the warheads. GAO reviewed NNSA To maintain and modernize the U. The follow-on phases are Phase 6. The W80 is a low to intermediate yield two-stage thermonuclear warhead deployed by the U. The W80-4 warhead will stay on schedule, despite the cost breach of its delivery vehicle the B-52 bomber, Sandia National Laboratories director Laura McGill said during an online press conference Wednesday. The SLCM-N was originally expected to use the W80–4 warhead that is being developed for the LRSO; however, this is currently being renegotiated. 1 billion for the W87-1 warhead in the NNSA budget. In 2014, the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) selected Lawrence Livermore as the lead nuclear design agency for refurbishing the W80‑1 nuclear explosives package as In March 2023, NNSA’s Deputy Administrator for Defense Programs approved the W80-4 Life Extension Program (LEP) to transition into Phase 6. In 2014, the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) selected Lawrence Livermore as the lead nuclear design agency for refurbishing the W80‑1 nuclear explosives package as The W80 warhead has variable yield between 5 and 150 kilotons having the same size of the Mark 81 bomb and weighing 130 kilograms. enduring stockpile with a variable yield ("dial-a-yield") of 5 or 150 kilotons of TNT (21 or 628 TJ). 7 billion for the Sentinel in the DOD budget and $1. Spending on the Columbia-class submarine would increase sharply from $6. the defense of the nation, the LRSO is a relatively inexpensive nuclear modernization program. In today’s era of stockpile stewardship, no effort focuses the Laboratory’s technical resources as much as a life-extension program (LEP) aimed at adding 30 years of service life to an aging nuclear warhead. “The W80-4 Life Extension Program is currently Sandia’s top modernization priority for nuclear deterrence,” said Sandia’s Deputy Laboratories Director for Nuclear Deterrence and Chief The brief examines the debate surrounding the development of U. 1 billion in 2024 to $9. Program execution will focus on meeting NNSA’s product realization Starting in 1978, 1,787 ALCMs were manufactured, at a cost of $6. 146 votes, 54 comments. Informed, serious discussion of nuclear weapons, command and control… The DoE’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) is “highly unlikely” to complete the Long Range Standoff Weapon’s W80-4 warhead — a refurbished version of the W80 used on current air-launched cruise missiles— by the agency's official target date of fiscal year 2025, NNSA's nominally independent Cost… The W80 and the Accelerated Strategic Computing Initiative (ASCI) teams collaborated to evaluate the W80 warhead in abnormal environments. nuclear weapons stockpile continues to meet Department of Defense (DoD) requirements while enhancing safety and security. For FY2025, the Biden Administration requested $3. In this handbook, the term “warhead” is used to mean both warheads and bombs, and the terms “weapon” and “warhead” are used interchangeably. […] The W80 is a small thermonuclear warhead (fusion or, more descriptively, two-stage weapon) in the enduring stockpile with a variable yield of between 5 and 150 kt of TNT. It examines the expansion of U. 4—production engineering. The Nuclear Notebook is published in the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists and freely available here. In 2014, they began an LEP to produce a warhead, the W80-4, to be carried on the LRSO missile. The W80-4 is the refurbished warhead that will eventually arm the Air Force’s new Long-Range Standoff cruise missile, replacing the decades-old Air Launched Cruise Missile. To maintain this vital deterrent capability, the Department of Defense (DOD) is working to replace the ALCM through the Long Range Standof (LRSO) program. Presumably, these costs have not decreased in the last three years, and more likely have increased significantly. Retrieved 8 March 2020. introduced the air-launched cruise missile (ALCM) that housed a W80-1 warhead, both of which are now well past their planned lives. 2 billion against the four characteristics of a high quality, reliable cost estimate: comprehensive, well-documented, accurate, and credible. Respectively, the W80-4 and W87-1 programs are updating warheads for use on the Air Force’s Long-Range Standoff Weapon and Ground-Based Strategic Deterrent, the future air-launched and land-based nuclear weapons that will replace current missiles. "W80-1 Warhead Selected For New Nuclear Cruise Missile". All told, the B61-12 will cost an extra $600-700 million, and the W88 will cost about $120-$150 million because of the capacitor issue. 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. It is essentially a Warhead and bomb costs are rough averages only based on total research, development, testing and production costs during the Cold War; actual costs are classified. An access panel on the warhead is open, showing the interface for actions such as PAL (safety/arming) and variable yield setting The B61 is a variable yield ("dial-a-yield" colloquially) dual use tactical and strategic bomb equipped with Full Fuzing Option (FUFO) [1] designed for external carriage by high-speed aircraft. The U. Federation of American Scientists. It was designed for deployment on cruise missiles and is the warhead used in all nuclear-armed AGM-86 Air-Launched Cruise Missile (ALCM) and AGM-129 Advanced Cruise Missile (ACM) missiles deployed by the US Air Force, and in the US Navy 's BGM-109 Tomahawk. 3 billion (excluding their nuclear warheads). 2A—design definition and cost study. The W80 warhead, meanwhile, is deployed on air-launched cruise missiles and would be delivered by B52 bombers. 1626) Modification of SLCM-N Warhead House: Provides flexibility for use of a warhead other than the W80-4 ALT for the nuclear-armed sea-launched cruise missile (SLCM-N) (Sec. The LRSO is designed to replace the aging AGM-86 Air-Launched Cruise Missile, operational since 1982. Each ALCM carries a W80-1 warhead with a yield of either < 1-5 kilotons or 150 kilotons. The W87-1 is scheduled to begin production in Fiscal Year 2031 or 2032. This warhead was provided to the US Air Force AGM-86 ALCM and AGM-129 cruise missiles and the US Navy BGM-109 Tomahawk cruise missile as well as the ground-launched BGM-109G Gryphon cruise missile. "Some B-21 Bomber Facilities at Ellsworth to be Ready for 2024". The GAO reported that the NNSA’s plan to deliver the first W80-4 warhead by September 2025 is “more than a year earlier than the program’s own analysis says is reasonable” for the $11. To maintain and modernize the U. You asked us to examine plans for the W87-1 warhead. That effort will resume in the 2019 fiscal year following a five-year hiatus. The production cost of a V-1 was only a small fraction of that of a V-2 supersonic ballistic missile with a similar-sized warhead. The United States has embarked on a wide-ranging nuclear modernization program. [7] Unlike the V-2, the initial deployments of the V-1 required stationary launch ramps which were susceptible to bombardment. 4, Production Engineering. arsenal - the Mod 0 with the BGM-109 Tomahawk SLCM (sea launched cruise missile), the Mod 1 with the AGM-86B ALCM (air launched cruise missile) and the AGM-129 ACM (advanced cruise missile, an air launched weapon incorporating stealth technology). The W80-1 warhead is currently used on the Air Launched Cruise Missile (ALCM), but will be modified during a life-extension program and de-deployed with a new name: W80-4. This report examines, among other things, the extent to which NNSA (1) considered cost estimates in prior design decisions for the W87-1 and the potential effects of remaining design decisions on program cost, and (2) will be able to produce sufficient numbers of key nuclear components to meet W87-1 production needs. Each variation was The NNSA is developing a new W87-1 warhead to deploy on the Sentinel. We estimate that it maintains a stockpile of approximately 3,700 warheads. In 2024, DOD conducted a congressionally mandated review of the Sentinel program due to cost overruns and delays. The Nuclear Weapons Council is also used to resolve larger questions regarding design and costs for LEPs. As with the W80-4 LEP, the planned replacement progra Strategic Bombers, Cruise Missiles, and Gravity Bombs Nuclear Warhead and Pit Production Facilities (In line with Department of Defense nomenclature, the term “acquisition costs” as used in this fact sheet includes research, development, test, and evaluation costs, procurement costs, and military construction costs. It is a central element of the United States strategic bomber force. The warhead and delivery platform are expected to be finalized in early 2025. Air & Space Forces. Nuclear Weapons Council has selected the W80-1 thermonuclear warhead for the Air Force’s new nuclear cruise missile (Long-Range Standoff, LRSO) scheduled for deployment in 2027. . The W80-4 is the first modernization program in more than 20 years to refurbish a warhead in parallel with development of a new delivery platform. Despite the Biden administration’s previous decision not to pursue the development of a new nuclear-armed sea-launched cruise missile (SLCM-N) and its associated warhead, the W80-4 ALT, due to cost and strategic considerations, Congress provided funding for the continuation of the SLCM-N program in the FY24 National Defense Authorization Act. org mailing list The W80-4 warhead remains aligned with the Air Force schedule for the long-range standoff weapon and on track for a First Production Unit in September 2027. nuclear warheads and whether the United States is creating “new” nuclear weapons. The W87-1 came in right behind, and thanks to the W80-4, we’re hitting the road running,” says Derek Wapman, deputy principal associate director for stockpile modernization. The W80-4 warhead life extension program—which will equip the LRSO missile—is now expected to be completed in September 2033, one year behind its schedule baseline. Sep 25, 2019 · It will cost a combined $850 million or so to replace commercial capacitors unsuitable for use with a refurbished nuclear gravity bomb and submarine-launched warhead, a senior National Nuclear Security Administration official told lawmakers. The Congressional Budget Ofice estimates the costs of the LRSO and its W80-4 warhead will comprise The U. For example, the B61 bomb has had 12 variations over time. […] Spending on the W80-4 warhead for the LRSO system would increase from $1 billion to $1. bombers the ability to launch their payload from outside the range of anti-aircraft weapons. 6—full-scale production. Jun 28, 2018 · The program to extend the life of the W80 nuclear warhead recently achieved a significant milestone when the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) gave passing grades to the plans to refurbish certain components and the proposed approach to developing component cost estimates. ofnb, i3rqq, wtoz, 9avkn, fgcap, hwkxa, awihz, 9yc9, jiuh, mukodu,