Manufacturing nuclear weapon 'pits' : a decisionmaking approach for Congress / [electronic resource] Jonathan E. Medalia

By: Contributor(s): Language: English Series: CRS report, R43685Publication details: Washington, DC : CRS, 2014Description: 33 pSubject(s): Online resources:
Item type: electronic publication
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Current library Call number Status Date due Barcode
SIPRI Library and Documentation CD2014 G14_362 Available G14/362

SIP1409

"August 15, 2014".

A “pit” is the plutonium “trigger” of a thermonuclear weapon. During the Cold War, the Rocky Flats Plant (CO) made up to 2,000 pits per year (ppy), but ceased operations in 1989. Since then, the Department of Energy (DOE) has made at most 11 ppy for the stockpile, yet the Department of Defense stated that it needs DOE to have a capacity of 50 to 80 ppy to extend the life of certain weapons and for other purposes. This report focuses on 80 ppy, the upper end of this range.

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