Between 1944 and 1994, the U.S. government produced 99.5 metric tons of plutonium for use in an estimated 70,000 nuclear weapons. Today, roughly 80% of the U.S. nuclear arsenal has been discarded, and the United States is struggling to dispose of the surplus plutonium. Currently, a total of 61.2 tons of plutonium is declared excess […]
Fact Sheet
Fact Sheet: Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation
The office of Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation (DNN) is responsible for U.S. nuclear security and nonproliferation operations. As part of the National Nuclear Security Administration within the Department of Energy, DNN works closely with international partners, U.S. federal agencies, national laboratories, and the private sector to secure and/or dispose nuclear and radiological material. DNN also houses […]
Fact Sheet: United States Non-strategic Nuclear Weapons
Updated November 2023 While no consensus definition exists, non-strategic nuclear weapons, otherwise known as tactical nuclear weapons, are generally low-yield nuclear weapons designed for use on the battlefield. They can also be defined as weapons not covered by strategic arms control treaties, such as New START, which encompass nuclear weapons delivered via intercontinental ballistic missiles […]
Fact Sheet: Preventing a Dirty Bomb: Why Radiological Security Matters
Updated March 2021 Nuclear terrorism poses a grave threat to human life. Though less devastating than a nuclear weapon, a terrorist incident featuring radiological material is far more likely due to the abundance of these materials and a widespread lack of adequate security. Consequently, physically protecting isotopes that could be used for a nuclear weapon […]
Fact Sheet: F-35 Joint Strike Fighter: Costs and Challenges
Updated July 2021 What Is It? The F-35, known as the Lightning II, is a Joint Strike Fighter (JSF, emphasis added) because contracts exist for the United States Air Force, Marine Corps, and Navy, as well as eight NATO countries and five non-NATO partners. The fighter has three variants, one of which (F-35A) will have […]
