Sandia National Labs and the Nuclear Security Enterprise (NSE) this week announced the completion of the final production unit of the B61-12 nuclear gravity bomb. The milestone, achieved in December 2024, is significant for the U.S. nuclear deterrence program. The B61-12 program will continue to make spare parts and pursue program closeout activities into fiscal year 2026.
According to the Energy Department, the NSE is the collection of DOE laboratories, production plants, and processing facilities involved in designing, producing, and testing nuclear weapons. For example, the B61-12 program is the result of collaborative partnerships among the Sandia and Los Alamos national laboratories, the Kansas City National Security Campus, Pantex Plant, Y-12 National Security Complex, Savannah River Site, the National Nuclear Security Administration and the U.S. Air Force, along with numerous vendors.
The B61 went into service in 1968. As part of this life extension program, most older modifications of the B61 have been replaced to extend the weapon’s service life by at least 20 years, resulting in a reliable stockpile. According to the Energy Department, the B61-12 has a modern tail kit assembly to make it more accurate.
Sandia is the design and engineering lab for the nonnuclear components in the life extension program and the systems integrator for the B61-12. As systems integrator, Sandia ensures all systems and subsystems work together seamlessly.
According to Rich Otten, a Sandia senior manager involved in the bomb’s design and production, the life-extension project has spanned more than 10 years. Otten adds that production is complex, and significant effort went into ensuring aircraft compatibility, especially as delivery platforms changed.
According to Scott Klenke, a Sandia senior manager overseeing stockpile sustainment, the team is just beginning its efforts to make sure the B61-12 is sustained and maintained appropriately. “It’s a critical element to ensure we have a strong and viable deterrent,” Klenke says.
Sandia also produced several components that were delivered to the Kansas City National Security Campus and Pantex Plant to enable full-scale production.
Klenke said work will continue across the nuclear security enterprise, NNSA and the Department of Defense to ensure stockpile surveillance activities on the B61-12 run smoothly. These activities include randomly selecting units, disassembling them at the Pantex Plant and testing components at Sandia’s Weapons Evaluation Testing Laboratory.
Additionally, some units will be used to support surveillance flight tests. Testing data from surveillance, laboratory and flight activities are used to ensure the safety, reliability and performance of weapons in the stockpile. Klenke said surveillance and assessment activities continue until retirement and until the last unit is dismantled.