U.S. Department of Energy, Defense Programs, Activities to Support the Safe, Secure Dismantlement of Nuclear Weapons in the Former Soviet Union

In September 1991 President Bush announced sweeping cuts in the U.S. nuclear weapon stockpile as well as changes in deployment to remove significant numbers of weapons from alert status and to return to the U.S. for storage many weapons formerly based abroad in U.S. sites. In October 1991 President Gorbachev announced similar moves for the Soviet Union. Even though the Gorbachev announcement represented a substantial step forward in reducing tension between the U.S. and the Soviet Union, the U.S. continued to be concerned about the deteriorating situation in the Soviet Union and the prospects for internal stability, particularly after the August 1991 coup attempt. As a result, in November 1991 the Administration began talks with the Soviets in a number of areas including field disablement of nuclear weapons to prevent unauthorized use, emergency response in the event of a weapons accident, and command and control of nuclear weapons. In parallel the Congress passed the \"Nunn-Lugar\" legislation to assist the Soviet Union in the safe, secure dismantlement (SSD) of weapons to implement the Gorbachev commitment and in developing measures to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. The challenges for the U.S. side were multiple. First, an atmosphere of trust needed to be developed so that the Russians would identify nuclear weapon needs to the U.S. and actually employ hardware provided. Second, the U.S. had to establish working relationships with countries whose governmental institutions were still evolving, often without the benefit of an infrastructure experienced in SSD matters. The Department of Defense (DOD) is designated in the \"Nunn-Lugar\" legislation as the Executive Agent and the source of funds. The Defense Nuclear Agency (DNA) is the DOD program manager. The Department of Energy (DOE) is supporting and collaborating with DOD in several areas due to the DOE responsibilities for developing, assembling, and dismantling U.S. warheads and as the custodian of the nuclear materials stockpile. Russia, as the successor state to the Soviet Union, controls the nuclear weapons of the former Soviet Union. Thus, DOE's nuclear weapon and nuclear materials expertise are being applied particularly to Russia. However, we are also providing assistance to Belarus and are prepared to assist Ukraine and Kazakhstan as well if agreements can be reached. In this paper, the DOE SSD activities in support of DOD as the U.S. Executive Agent will be discussed. Two areas will not be covered, namely, DOD activities and the purchase of highly enriched uranium, which is not a Nunn- Lugar funded effort.