Last week I commented on Walter Pincus’ story on FOGBANK and the Kyl amendment(s). Via Frank Munger, I see that NNSA has released a FAQ on FOGBANK (the full text is pasted below the jump). The key takeaway:
All issues involving Fogbank production have been resolved. NNSA leveraged resources from across the nuclear security enterprise and the commercial sector to resolve the problems. The Fogbank being manufactured today is as good as, if not better than, the original product.
The FAQ also states that the FOGBANK problem is not the issue delaying delivery of the newly-refurbished W76 warheads to the Navy.
The revelation that FOGBANK is being successfully produced is not really news, as NNSA announced in June that it has been successfully producing the classified material since Spring 2008. Inexplicably, Pincus failed to mention this in his story.
Munger speculates that NNSA may have come out with the FAQ in response to Pincus’ piece or to “long-running questions” about FOGBANK. I suspect both suspicions are correct.
Frequently Asked Questions
Fogbank Production
Updated August 2009
Q. What is Fogbank and why is it used?
A. Fogbank is a material used in some of the nuclear weapons in the U.S. stockpile. NNSA cannot comment on what Fogbank is or what it is used for due to the classified and sensitive nature of this issue. NNSA is currently using Fogbank in the refurbishment of the W76.
Q. Did NNSA forget the recipe for Fogbank?
A. No. NNSA did not lose the recipe for Fogbank or forget how to produce it. NNSA needed to recreate a Fogbank production capacity from start following a decision in the early 1990s (before the W76 LEP was envisioned and after W88 production ended) to end the production of Fogbank and dismantle the Fogbank production facility. NNSA experienced the sort of challenges that are to be expected anytime a new production capability for a technically complex material is begun. Following the initial decision to close the Fogbank production facility NNSA lost many of the experienced personnel who had built the initial capability due to retirements, which further complicated the task of recreating a new capability from scratch.
All issues involving Fogbank production have been resolved. NNSA leveraged resources from across the nuclear security enterprise and the commercial sector to resolve the problems. The Fogbank being manufactured today is as good as, if not better than, the original product.
Q. The GAO said NNSA “had lost knowledge of how to manufacture the material because it had kept few records of the process when the material was made in the 1980s and almost all staff with expertise on production had retired or left the agency.” Is that true?
A. NNSA did not lose the knowledge of how to manufacture the material, but the retirement or departure of the staff experienced in building the original Fogbank production capability did complicate the task of building a new production capability. This is a technically complex material and process, and anytime a new process is created there are challenges. All issues involving Fogbank production have been resolved. The material that is used today is as good as, if not better than the original product.
Q. Is NNSA producing Fogbank today?
A. Yes. NNSA is currently producing Fogbank for use in refurbished W76 warheads. Fogbank is meeting the needs required for maintaining the stockpile.
Q. Will NNSA certify a replacement material by the end of 2009?
A. When the issues with producing Fogbank started in FY2007, NNSA directed the development and certification of an alternative to Fogbank as a risk mitigation strategy. Since taxpayer resources were invested to produce this alternative, and to hedge against future contingencies, NNSA is still working to certify the alternative material by the end of FY 2009. But NNSA will continue to use Fogbank and does not need a replacement for Fogbank.
Q. Does NNSA plan to shift to the alternative material for the rest of the W76 LEP?
A. No. Both NNSA and the U.S. Navy would prefer to maintain consistency across the stockpile of W76 warheads. The Fogbank being produced today is as good as, if not better than, the original product.
Q. Will NNSA use Fogbank or the alternative material for future LEPs?
A. Decisions about future LEP’s will be made on a case-by-case basis as determined by the technical requirements for the individual system.
Q. Is the Fogbank problem delaying delivery of the W76 warhead to the Navy?
A. No. All issues have been resolved.
Q. How can NNSA be sure the newly produced Fogbank will work?
A. The newly produced Fogbank has been demonstrated to achieve its design requirements. The Fogbank being produced today is as good as, if not better than, the original product.
