Nuclear Weapons Support

Mission — Nuclear Weapon System Technology and Integration source

The AFNWC is the executing agency for the Nuclear Weapon System Technology and Integration (NWST&I) program that ensures the safety, survivability, security, and effectiveness of AF nuclear weapon systems in direct support to the military warfighters and force providers. Emphasis is placed on ensuring nuclear weapon system compatibility, validating nuclear safety designs, generating weapon system safety rules, developing flight profiles for safe and effective nuclear weapons delivery, exposing vulnerabilities which could compromise the authorized use of nuclear weapons, and developing mitigations to any nuclear weapon system safety, security, or effectiveness shortfalls (to include future concept development). These requirements are met through in-depth technical, operational, and intelligence evaluations, demonstrations, modeling and simulation (M&S), test and evaluation (T&E), trade studies, requirements analysis, and recommendations to planning, policy, and doctrine. Additionally, the program conducts DoD-required certification for legacy, modernized, and new nuclear weapon systems. The Air Force Safety Center (AFSEC), provides guidance, direction, and oversight of all matters pertaining to emerging weapons technologies including nuclear surety of all nuclear weapons and weapon systems in Air Force custody and facilities, from storage and assembling, testing, transporting, and delivering it on target. AFSEC collaborates with DAF nuclear stakeholders to implement a nuclear weapons systems safety and surety program as part of the overall Air Force Nuclear Surety Program, as directed by DoDD 3150.02, DoD Nuclear Weapons Surety Program and Department of Defense Manual 3150.02, DoD Nuclear Weapon System Safety Program Manual. Emphasis is placed on ensuring nuclear weapon system prevention of loss (safety), validating nuclear safety designs, coordinating interagency weapon system safety rules for OSD, exposing vulnerabilities which could compromise the authorized use of nuclear weapons, and developing compensatory measures to any nuclear weapon system safety, security, or operational non-compliance (to include future concept development and cybersecurity and zero-trust implications on surety). AF and DOD requirements are met through in-depth technical, operational, demonstrations, modeling and simulation (M&S), test and evaluation (T&E), trade studies, requirements analysis, and recommendations to acquisition execution, schedule, and guidance using all available information to include Artificial Intelligence for increasing efficiency. Additionally, the program conducts DoD-required certification for legacy, modernized, and new nuclear weapon systems and maintains a Special Access Program (SAP) and Unauthorized Launch (UL) and Safety Privilege information Secure Compartmentalized Information Facility (SCIF) to ensure efficient access to interagency nuclear weapons enterprise program data for the Air Force Safety enterprise and Department of Defense stakeholders. This program element may include necessary civilian pay expenses required to manage, execute, and deliver weapon system capability. The use of such program's funds would be in addition to the civilian pay expenses budgeted in program element 0605827F, 0605828F, 0605829F, 0605831F, 0605832F, 0605833F, 0605898F, 0606398F. In FY 2024 $0M was expended for civilian pay expenses in this program element, and in FY 2025 $0M is forecasted for civilian pay expenses in this program element.

Mission — Engineering Analysis source

The AFNWC is the executing agency for the Engineering Analysis (EA) program that supplies and maintains technical expertise on all AF nuclear weapons and systems by ensuring model based digital engineering integration into systems engineering and mission engineering processes through the application of modular designs /approaches. The EA program develops a digitally informed workforce, increases assurance for fielded systems in a cost-effective and efficient manner, and increases the integration of nuclear weapons systems with war-fighter mission capability assessment. The EA program supplies resources for technical and programmatic activities which include performing independent analyses on all stages of AF nuclear weapon systems life-cycles including weapons development, sustainment, interoperability, compatibility, training, safety, security, reliability, cybersecurity, and AF legacy nuclear stockpile management /retirement. The program provides for the development and maintenance of a nuclear enterprise architecture to ensure alignment and integration of nuclear weapon system capabilities and interfaces. The data management and information technology modernization efforts increase quality and flexibility of design, development, and fielding of nuclear capabilities to the war-fighter by leveraging design and sustainment data across the enterprise aligned to an AFNWC wide data strategy. The implementation of digital engineering and Model Based System Engineering (MBSE) efforts will facilitate the rapid testing, analysis, and delivery of nuclear weapon systems to address evolving threats. Digital transformation tools - automation, machine learning, artificial intelligence - and technological solution implementation will improve AFNWC business processes efficiency and effectiveness to address current government operational needs and focus on higher-value activities. The EA digital engineering efforts also include cloud-based implementation technologies that will be configured to ensure all data analysis and visualizations reach back to a single authoritative data source of truth. This program element may include necessary civilian pay expenses required to manage, execute, and deliver weapon system capability. The use of such programs funds would be in addition to the civilian pay expenses budgeted in program element 0605827F, 0605828F, 0605829F, 0605831F, 0605832F, 0605833F, 0605898F, 0606398F. In FY 2024 $0M was expended for civilian pay expenses in this program element, and in FY 2025 $0M is forecasted for civilian pay expenses in this program element.

Mission — Nuclear Weapons Support source

The Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center (AFNWC), Kirtland AFB, NM, is the primary executing agency for this program. The AFNWC is tasked with supporting and supplying technical expertise on all Air Force (AF) nuclear weapons and weapon systems. This program provides resources for technical and programmatic activities which include research, development, test, and evaluation of all nuclear equipment/systems, as well as performing independent analyses on all AF nuclear weapon systems and activities. These include weapon/system development, sustainment, interoperability, compatibility, safety, security, reliability, and cyber resiliency/security, nuclear stockpile certification management for all AF nuclear weapon systems, and nuclear enterprise architecture alignment. The Air Force Safety Center (AFSEC), Kirtland AFB, NM, is the primary executing agency for nuclear weapons certificication. The AFSEC is tasked with providing safety, control, and operational policy and independent assessments and expertise used for the US nuclear enterprise, US nuclear weapons and nuclear weapon system programs as well as security of nuclear weapon design information. This program provides resources for oversight, technical and programmatic activities which include research, development, test, and evaluation of all nuclear weapon related equipment/systems, as well as performing independent analyses on all AF nuclear weapon systems and activities using the industry representative software tools, databasing and Artificial Intelligence. These include participation in early nuclear weapon/system development, system assessments, risk analysis, sustainment actions, operations, trend analysis, safety, security, and cybersecurity, supply chain risk management, nuclear stockpile assessments for all AF nuclear weapon systems, and nuclear enterprise architecture alignment. This activiity is shared with BPAC 654807 in this program element. This program element may include necessary civilian pay expenses required to manage, execute, and deliver weapon system capability. The use of such program's funds would be in addition to the civilian pay expenses budgeted in program element 0605827F, 0605828F, 0605829F, 0605831F, 0605832F, 0605833F, 0605898F, 0606398F. In FY 2024 0M was expended for civilian pay expenses in this program element, and in FY 2025 0M is forecasted for civilian pay expenses in this program element. The FY 2026 request was reduced by 0.294 million for Advisory and Assistance Services to promote efficiencies and advance the policies of the Administration in alignment with Executive Order 14222, "Implementing the President's Department of Government Efficiency Cost Efficiency Initiative.” This program is in Budget Activity 5, System Development and Demonstration (SDD) because it has passed Milestone B approval and is conducting engineering and manufacturing development tasks aimed at meeting validated requirements prior to full rate production.

Mission — Nuclear Weapons Support source

The modernization of legacy nuclear systems, development of new nuclear-capable aircraft and munitions, and the creation of the new Weapon Generation Facilities (WGF) within Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC) may require new support equipment capabilities to meet system and mission requirements. Additionally, the WGF introduces a new concept of operations by integrating maintenance and storage mission sets into one facility. To support mission generation requirements, support equipment and capabilities related to the nuclear enterprise must be studied, reviewed, modified, or in extreme cases, re-developed to maintain operational readiness. In FY25, user requirements increased the 3K aerial stores lift truck capability to 4K due to increased length/weight of new munitions. Examples of equipment under review include but are not limited to: (a) next-generation 4K and 7K aerial stores lift trucks; and (b) the Electric Manually Operated Lift Truck (EMOLT) to replace the aged MHU-194 Manually Operated Lift Truck (MOLT). The Next Generation Large Munitions unit, also known as the MHU-TSX, will integrate advanced technology such as machine vision and supervised autonomy and agile maneuverability to reduce the time associated with loading and transporting weapons both internally (threshold) and externally (objective) on AFGSC aircraft. The review, analysis, and potential modification of existing equipment ensures mission generation remains executable. This program element may include necessary civilian pay expenses required to manage, execute, and deliver weapon system capability. The use of such program's funds would be in addition to the civilian pay expenses budgeted in program element 0605827F, 0605828F, 0605829F, 0605831F, 0605832F, 0605833F, 0605898F, 0606398F. In FY 2024 $0M was expended for civilian pay expenses in this program element, and in FY 2025 $0M is forecasted for civilian pay expenses in this program element.

Accomplishments & Planned Programs (5)