Panel Finds Against Bush-Era Plan for New Nukes

(Nov. 20) -- Another aspect of Bush defense policy has quietly been undone, courtesy of an expert panel that determined the current arsenal of nuclear weapons has plenty of life left in it. The findings are a direct blow to proponents of building a new nuclear warhead, who have argued that potential flaws in the current arsenal require work on a replacement warhead.

The Bush administration, with support from U.S. nuclear laboratories, had for several years pursued plans to build a new nuclear warhead, called the Reliable Replacement Warhead, although Congress had refused to fund the work. Now the outside review has concluded that with proper upkeep, the "lifetimes of today's nuclear warheads could be extended for decades."

The review, requested by a House defense panel, was carried out by the JASON defense advisory group, scientists who advise the government on national security issues.

The U.S. has not built a new nuclear warhead since the 1980s, and government nuclear laboratories now focus on maintaining the current nuclear stockpile. The panel was asked to review the impact of those life extension programs to judge whether they were sufficient.

The National Nuclear Security Administration, the semi-autonomous agency responsible for managing the nuclear arsenal, gave a qualified endorsement of the public report. While expressing support for its conclusions, the agency maintains that the classified version of the document conveys "a different perspective on key findings," NNSA spokesman Damien LaVera wrote in a statement.

Nuclear expert Jeffrey Lewis said the JASON study should spell the end of the Bush-era nuclear plans. "This should drive a stake through the heart of the RRW and warhead 'replacement' in general," Lewis writes on his Arms Control Wonk blog.