The Obama Administration requested a 13.4 percent increase in the FY 2011 budget for the National Nuclear Security Administration. Following the request of May 2009 that was essentially unchanged from the year before, funding for NNSA would increase to $11.2 billion in FY 2011. NNSA is an independent entity within the Department of Energy to manage the country’s nuclear defense. A Department of Energy FY 2011 congressional budget request document provides the following overview of NNSA’s approach in the next fiscal year:
“The investment strategy in this budget request provides a strong basis for transitioning to a smaller nuclear stockpile that continues to be safe, secure and effective. This request strengthens the science, technology and engineering base, modernizes key nuclear facilities, and streamlines the enterprise’s physical and operational footprint. These investments are critical in order to strengthen the nation’s security while supporting a reduced reliance on nuclear weapons and to bolster confidence in the ability to certify the stockpile under a Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. Targeted increases are therefore provided for Stockpile Support, Science Technology and Engineering, and Infrastructure.”
Total NNSA:
The FY 2010 appropriation was $9,887.0 million.
The FY 2011 request is $11,214.8 million, an increase of $1,327.7 million or 13.4 percent.
There are four major components of NNSA’s budget request: the Office of the Administrator, Weapons Activities, Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation, and Naval Reactors. Further detail on this request can be viewed here.
Office of the Administrator:
The FY 2010 appropriation was $420.8 million.
The FY 2011 request is $448.3 million, an increase of $27.5 million or 6.5 percent.
Weapons Activities:
The FY 2010 appropriation was $6,384.4 million.
The FY 2011 request is $7,008.8 million, an increase of $624.4 million or 9.8 percent.
Programs within Weapons Activities include:
Directed Stockpile Work: Increases 26.1 percent or $392.5 million from $1,505.9 million to $1,898.4 million.
Science Campaign: Increases 23.5 percent or $69.6 million from $295.7 million to $365.2 million.
Engineering Campaign: Decreases 5.4 percent or $8.1 million from $150.0 million to $142.0 million.
Inertial Confinement Fusion and High Yield Campaign: Up 5.2 percent or $23.6 million from $457.9 million to $481.6 million.
Advanced Simulation and Computing Campaign: Up 8.5 percent or $48.1 million from $567.6 million to $615.8 million.
Readiness Campaign: Up 12.1 percent or $12.1 million from $100.0 million to $112.1 million.
Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation:
The FY 2010 appropriation was $2,136.7 million.
The FY 2011 request is $2,687.2 million, an increase of 25.8 percent or $550.5 million.
Within this program is:
Nonproliferation and Verification R&D: Up 10.8 percent or $34.3 million from $317.3 million to $351.6 million.
Naval Reactors:
The FY 2010 appropriation was $945.1 million.
The FY 2011 request is $1,070.5 million, an increase of 13.3 percent or $125.4 million.