National Nuclear Security Administration: Additional Actions Needed to Plan for Science, Technology, and Engineering Facilities and Workforce Investments
Fast Facts
The National Nuclear Security Administration relies on unique science, technology, and engineering facilities and a highly skilled workforce to maintain and advance the nation's nuclear stockpile. In 2024, it prioritized investments to modernize its facilities over the next 2 decades.
While priorities have changed, NNSA had no plans to update its facility assessments to reflect them. NNSA also began to look at its science and technology workforce needs, but didn't complete its analysis.
Our recommendations address these issues to ensure a safe and effective nuclear stockpile in a rapidly changing technology and security landscape.
Contractors working at the National Ignition Facility in Livermore, California
People dressed in hazmat suits work on a large piece of laboratory equipment.
Highlights
What GAO Found
In July 2024, the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) released an internal Integrated Science, Technology, and Engineering (ST&E) Plan documenting investments needed for ST&E capabilities over the next 20 years. NNSA’s plan identified and prioritized 46 ST&E facility investments across the nuclear security enterprise that support stewardship of the nuclear weapons stockpile and other NNSA missions. The investments were prioritized by mission importance and mission need time frame. They included sustainment and enhancement of existing facilities and construction of new facilities.
NNSA also collected initial estimates of related ST&E workforce and programmatic investment needs—such as needed equipment and materials—from the nuclear security enterprise sites for the 20-year period. However, NNSA did not fully assess these funding needs and has no plans to do so. NNSA officials said that the plan focused on facility investments due to a deadline to provide that information for the agency’s Enterprise Blueprint, which was publicly released. Completing a comprehensive analysis of the ST&E workforce and programmatic investment needs would allow NNSA to better understand the total funding needs for stockpile stewardship and proactively plan for those needs.
Annular Core Research Reactor, a National Nuclear Security Administration Facility Requiring Sustainment Investment
NNSA provided the most detailed cost information on seven high mission importance, near-term ST&E facility investment projects in the Department of Energy’s fiscal year 2026 budget justification. Cost information on other proposed facility investments was limited because the projects are in early planning phases or are sustainment investments.
NNSA officials said they have not updated their integrated assessment of future ST&E facility investment needs. NNSA’s ST&E facility priorities have already evolved and may further change over time to reflect changes in congressional priorities or new technologies in areas such as high energy density physics, artificial intelligence, or production. Regularly updating the agency’s integrated assessment of its ST&E facility needs would help guide future investment decisions to support stockpile stewardship and modernization.
Why GAO Did This Study
NNSA relies on unique science, technology, and engineering facilities and a skilled contractor workforce across the nuclear security enterprise to maintain and modernize the nuclear weapons stockpile without relying on nuclear explosive testing. According to NNSA, many ST&E facilities are decades old. A 2022 major review recommended that NNSA develop an enterprise-wide plan to revitalize its ST&E facilities and workforce.
Senate Report 118-58 accompanying a bill for the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2024 includes a provision for GAO to review NNSA’s plans for ST&E capabilities. This report examines (1) the extent to which NNSA’s Integrated ST&E Plan identified and prioritized the ST&E facilities, workforce, and programmatic investments needed to support stockpile stewardship; (2) the information available about estimated costs of these investments; and (3) the extent to which NNSA is regularly updating its integrated assessment of ST&E facility investment needs.
GAO reviewed agency and national security laboratory contractors’ documents related to the Integrated ST&E Plan and budget documents; made site visits to facilities at NNSA’s Los Alamos and Sandia National Laboratories in New Mexico; and interviewed NNSA officials and laboratory contractors.
Recommendations
GAO is making two recommendations to NNSA to analyze ST&E workforce and programmatic investment needs and to regularly update its integrated assessment of ST&E facility investment needs. NNSA’s comments outline actions it plans to take to address both recommendations.
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| National Nuclear Security Administration | The NNSA Deputy Administrator for Defense Programs should ensure completion of a comprehensive analysis of the workforce and programmatic investments needed to implement the ST&E facilities and capabilities described in the Integrated ST&E Plan. (Recommendation 1) |
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
|
| National Nuclear Security Administration | The NNSA Deputy Administrator for Defense Programs should regularly update the integrated assessment of ST&E facility investment needs to reflect changing priorities. (Recommendation 2) |
When we confirm what actions the agency has taken in response to this recommendation, we will provide updated information.
|