The naval reactors program for the Columbia-class ballistic missile submarines and updated Virginia-class attack boat are “in progress,” the senior civilian overlooking these programs in the Department of Energy told the Senate Armed Services strategic forces subcommittee this week.
James McConnell, acting principal deputy administrator at National Nuclear Security Administration, wrote in prepared testimony, “Naval Reactors is advancing naval nuclear propulsion capabilities to keep the U.S. Navy on the cutting edge of warfighting capability, maintaining the assured second-strike capability of the sea-based leg of the nuclear triad, and building the next generation of naval nuclear propulsion infrastructure for continued operational success.”
Adm. William Houston, director of Naval Nuclear Propulsion, added in his opening statement, “In the last year, we have made substantial progress with construction and assembly of Columbia Class life-of-ship cores which are in serial production, with the second and third ship cores currently being built.”
In his prepared opening statement, he said, “the Navy-funded electric drive propulsion system for the Columbia class is revolutionary. To date, lead ship reactor plant components have been delivered on schedule and the reactor core remains on track to support lead ship delivery. Naval Reactors will continue reactor plant design, fabrication, and safety analysis work required for lead ship reactor testing.”
Among the four major Naval Reactors initiatives, McConnell added, were “constructing the Naval Spent Fuel Handling Facility at the Naval Reactors Facility in Idaho to recapitalize the capabilities for naval spent nuclear fuel handling that exist in the over-60-year-old Expended Core Facility.”
Houston expects the work to be finished in the early 2030s.
When asked about the supply of enriched uranium, Houston said “we’re good until the 2050s,” but the United States will eventually need that capability. “It is a long-term plan,” he added.
During the second panel session, Vice Adm. Johnny Wolfe, director for strategic systems, said the biggest challenge facing the delivery of the Sea-Launched Cruise Missile [Nuclear] “is really understanding how are we going to get this system integrated into a platform that was never purpose-built for that.”
In prepared testimony, he added, “The SLCM-N weapon system is being designed and integrated with the intent to minimize impact to Virginia-class readiness and operations.”
When questioned at the hearing, Wolfe said his directorate is working with the fleet on “ways we can architect the system” onto the sub with minimum disruption. “It’s not going to take a lot of crew” and he did not expect Marines to have come aboard to provide security.
Wolfe added in prepared testimony, “in parallel with efforts to develop the missile system and integrate it into the submarine, the program is working to develop the supporting infrastructure needed to store, maintain, and deploy SLCM-N. The weapon will be stored and loaded at the Strategic Weapon Facilities (SWF) already used for the TRIDENT II D5 SWS and will leverage a combination of existing, modified, and new facilities at the SWFs.”
During his oral testimony, McConnell the Department of Energy official, said seven weapons systems are being modernized at the same time, something that has not opened “since the height of the Cold
McConnell added about the overall nuclear modernization program, “we’re rising to the challenge, but the challenge [from Russia and China keeps rising.”
