Nuclear and Conventional Physical Security Equipment RDT&E ADC&P

Mission— Nuclear Matters, Advanced Component Development & Prototypes

This Program Element supports the Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance (INDSG) counter the growing multi-domain threat posed by China; Deterring strategic attacks against the United States, Allies, and partners; Deterring aggression, while being prepared to prevail in conflict when necessary – prioritizing the challenge of China in the Indo-Pacific region, then the Russia challenge in Europe, and; Building a resilient Joint Force and defense ecosystem. Nuclear Matters, Advanced Component Development & Prototypes addresses the need to defend and deter against weapons of mass destruction threats and to safeguard personnel, prevent unauthorized access to equipment, installations, material, and documents, and to safeguard the foregoing against espionage, sabotage, damage, and theft. This program oversees advanced engineering development and rapid fielding throughout the Department of Defense (DoD) for an integrated and systemic approach to develop material solutions. The Physical Security Enterprise and Analysis Program (PSEAP) avoids duplication of effort, ensures systems integration, and promotes interoperability and sustainability. The material solutions either (a) lead to a Program of Record, (b) become technology insertions into existing programs; or (c) advance to being a certified Commercial/Government off-the-shelf product. The PSEAP advances enterprise-level physical security RDT&E solutions to reduce risk created by current and emerging threat by analyzing, researching, developing, demonstrating, and evaluating interoperable solutions to transition capability to warfighters. Collaboration with DoD Components, other government agencies, and the international community to prioritize and close capability gaps is a top priority of the PSEAP and the physical security community. National Technical Nuclear Forensics (NTNF) mission requirements and responsibilities derive from multiple source documents. Per National Security Presidential Memorandum 35 (NSPM 35), the DoD leads the United States (U.S.) Government (USG) post-detonation NTNF capability. NSPM 35 also directs that the US will maintain and advance a robust NTNF capability to detect, identify, locate, and characterize the attribution of the source of an actual or attempted nuclear or radiological attack in all environments, to include underground, underwater, in the atmosphere, and space. Per DoD Directive S-2060.04, the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition & Sustainment (OUSD(A&S)) is the office responsible for developing and leading the DoD’s NTNF capabilities. Per the 2022 Nuclear Posture Review (NPR) Direction, greater investment in NTNF tools is required to ensure they remain responsive to the threat, and thus scientifically credible and internationally accepted to hold states facilitating acts of nuclear terrorism accountable. The FY 2022 – FY2026 Nuclear Forensics and Attribution Strategic (NFAS) Plan requires an NTNF capability to collect, analyze, and evaluate both air and ground post-nuclear detonation samples at accelerated directed timelines. The DoD mission to collect, analyze, and evaluate post-detonation prompt signals and nuclear debris is critical to our national defense and security to ensuring the USG can identify the source of nuclear material and hold those involved or supporting an attack accountable. Internal and independent assessments indicate that new capabilities are needed to sustain an effective deterrent against an unattributed nuclear attack and meet the challenges of future threats. This PE is the only DoD research, development, and test and evaluation (RDT&E) program focused on Advanced Component Development and Prototypes for post-detonation NTNF capabilities. Without fully supporting these requirements, the DoD’s ability to meet this critical deterrence need will be significantly degraded. The DoD, through the Innovative Technologies program, will partner with the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) to develop technology aimed at preventing would-be proliferants from advancing nuclear weapons related efforts. Additionally, the DoD seeks to support current and future counterproliferation missions by leveraging the expertise within the national laboratories. The program goal is to ensure DoD's operational units are paired with the NNSA technology experts to develop requirements early in the process to reduce the time of fielding a technology. Nuclear Survivability will invest in innovative radiation hardening techniques to modernize microelectronics for strategic and space systems and increase the reliability of mission critical systems. This program will result in achieving key metrics, including improved understanding of radiation effects on advanced Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) technologies; Radiation Hardened/Strategic Radiation Hardened parts qualified and available for space and strategic modernization; Improved mission critical systems reporting; and improved testing procedure guidance for extreme radiation environments.

Mission— Nuclear Survivability

Nuclear Survivability will invest in innovative radiation hardening techniques to modernize microelectronics for strategic and space systems and increase the reliability of mission critical systems. This program will result in achieving key metrics, including improved understanding of radiation effects on advanced CMOS technologies; Radiation Hardened/Strategic radiation hardened parts qualified and available for space and strategic modernization; Improved mission critical systems reporting; and improved testing procedure guidance for extreme radiation environments.

Mission— Innovative Technologies

The DoD, in partnership with the NNSA, provides technical capability to understand and defeat nuclear threat devices, including improvised nuclear devices, radiological dispersal devices, and lost or stolen foreign nuclear weapons, as well as to develop foundational technologies supporting nuclear counterproliferation efforts.

Mission— National Technical Nuclear Forensics

Per NSPM 35, the DoD leads the USG post-detonation NTNF capability, and directs the U.S. to maintain and advance NTNF capabilities leading to the attribution of the source of an actual or attempted nuclear attack in all environments. Per the 2022 NPR, greater investment in NTNF tools is required to ensure they remain responsive to the threat. Per DoDD S-2060.04, OUSD(A&S) is the DoD office responsible for DoD’s NTNF capabilities. Per the FY 2022 – FY 2026 NFAS Plan, accelerated timelines are required for the NTNF capability to collect, analyze, and evaluate both air and ground post-nuclear detonation samples. This program is the only DoD RDT&E program focused on Advanced Component Development & Prototypes for NTNF capabilities. Collecting analyzing, and evaluating post-detonation prompt signals and nuclear debris is critical to ensure the USG can identify the source of nuclear material and holding those involved or supporting an attack accountable is critical to our national defense and security. Swift and accurate forensic and attribution capabilities are vital to supporting the President and Secretary of Defense in developing an appropriate, and timely, national response to a nuclear event and to prevent future attacks. An effective NTNF capability ensures potential adversaries, or those who support them, know that they will be held accountable if they use proxies or other non-traditional delivery (e.g., false-flag operations) of nuclear weapons against the U.S., U.S. interests, or allies. Both internal and independent studies indicate that continued improvement to the USG's NTNF capabilities is needed to sustain a credible deterrent against an attempted or actual nuclear attack. Additionally, this program sustains perishable U.S. technical expertise at the operational DoD laboratories required to respond to a post-detonation NTNF event. The DoD's laboratory capability in this area is limited by capacity and technical expertise. Increased support of the DoD’s NTNF mission is crucial to prevent attrition of current capabilities and knowledge base, ensure that this critical and unique deterrence capability is not lost, putting the security of the nation and the ability to deter specific kinds of nuclear attack at risk, and meeting a higher standard of timeliness and confidence as directed.

Mission— Nuclear and Conventional Physical Security

The Physical Security Enterprise and Analysis Program (PSEAP) pursues the development of nuclear and conventional physical security materiel solutions in response to the stated needs and requirements of the Combatant Commands and Military Services. This program leverages commonalities in physical security requirements in order to closely balance and integrate the needs of users. The PSEAP is responsible for avoiding duplication of effort, ensuring systems integration, and promoting interoperability and sustainability. The materiel solutions either (a) lead to a Program of Record, (b) become technology insertions into existing programs; or (c) advance to being a certified Commercial/Government off-the-shelf product.

Accomplishments & Planned Programs (4)