DOD and DOE officials who comprise the Nuclear Weapons Council have decided that the reliable replacement warhead program—an effort to determine the feasibility and advisability of developing a warhead to replace those in the existing stockpile—would not need underground testing. The NWC believes that proceeding with an RRW program will “ensure the long-term reliability of the stockpile and enable us to establish a safer and more secure nuclear deterrent.” According to an NRC statement, the RRW would also enable the US to reduce the size of its stockpile “by increasing confidence in the infrastructure to produce weapons.” The NWC still has to choose a preferred design from the two submitted by the Los Alamos and Lawrence Livermore national labs. And, Congress has to approve any decision to move into development.
A new Air Force organization is searching for counter-drone firms to participate in a dozen or more exercises to help create operating plans by the end of this year for defending the service’s U.S.-based installations from drone attacks.