US plans to produce 80 nuclear warheads in 2023

The US authorities plan to release 80 nuclear warheads in fiscal year 2023, as well as continue work to modernize existing nuclear forces.

The Fiscal Year 2023 Stockpile Stewardship and Management Plan of the US Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (DOE/NNSA) includes producing 80 plutonium pits per year; continuing production of the B61-12 Life Extension Program (LEP) and the W88 Alteration 370 warheads on schedule; and achieving the first production units for the W80-4 LEP and W87-1 Modernization Program.

The report also discusses other major activities in stockpile modernization, infrastructure refurbishment, science, research, technology, and engineering. Because of the ages of the weapons in the stockpile, new stockpile requirements, and the recapitalization needed in the production and science infrastructure, DOE/NNSA has been conducting weapon and infrastructure modernization simultaneously.

The US Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (DOE/NNSA) mission is designing, producing, delivering, and certifying the US nuclear stockpile including the advancement of the underlying science and technology.