The Energy Department’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) is moving to expedite the production process for a nuclear warhead that will be used on a new Air Force cruise missile by two years, a senior official said Monday.
Frank Klotz, the administrator of the NNSA and undersecretary for nuclear security, said a decision has been made to move up delivery of the W80-1 from 2027 to 2025. He told the Air Force Association’s Mitchell Institute that the decision was made by the Nuclear Weapons Council, which consists of senior Pentagon and Energy Department officials, to move up the capability.
Under the plan to use the W80 initially announced last year, the weapons will be placed on the Long Range Standoff (LRSO) cruise missile. The W80s are planned to go through a life extension process and will be known as the W80-4 before their deployment on the LRSO.
The LRSO is expected to come into service to replace the Air-Launched Cruise Missile, or ALCM.
The decision to move up production was part of the NNSA’s fiscal 2016 budget request.