August 20, 2009

Follow-up Audit of the Stockpile Surveillance Program

The Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration's NNSA stockpile surveillance program provides information on the status of the Nation's nuclear weapons stockpile. The scope, frequency and type of testing necessary to satisfy stockpile surveillance requirements are defined by the three nuclear weapons laboratories, while testing is carried out at seven sites in the weapons complex. Through a variety of tests, the stockpile surveillance program ensures that weapon systems function as expected and detects defects due to handling, aging, manufacturing or design.

Topic: National Security and Safety