Pantex marks milestone for major project

Pantexans and partners from across the National Security Enterprise gathered last week to celebrate the production halfway completion mark of the B61-12 Life Extension Program and W88 Alt 370.

This milestone marks a significant accomplishment for Pantex, Consolidated Nuclear Security (CNS), partners in the Nuclear Security Enterprise, the United States, and its allies.

Having both programs reach the halfway point at the same time is a unique achievement.

“It took every one of you doing your part, working together with those thousands of others to achieve the common goal of modernizing these two weapons systems in order to continue to provide the nation with a safe, secure, and reliable nuclear deterrent,” said Dr. Rich Tighe, president and chief executive officer of CNS.

The B61-12 and W88 are strategically important weapons in our nation’s nuclear deterrent. The work done on these programs is critical to our nation’s defense plans for many years to come.

“The B61 gravity bomb is deployed by the US Air Force on multiple platforms and has been in service more than 50 years, making it the oldest, most versatile weapon in the US stockpile,” said Carlos Alvarado, deputy field office manager for the NNSA Production Office. He continued, “The W88 first entered the stockpile in the late 1980s. The W88 Alt 370 includes numerous updates to address aging concerns and enhance nuclear safety.”

Modernization of these weapons is vital to the mission.

“Working on such complex programs can be daunting, but the nation is better off as a result of your diligence and dedication. The work done at Pantex is in support of our national security strategy,” said John Evans, NNSA assistant deputy administrator for stockpile management.

The work on these two programs has not stopped. Reaching the 50 percent completion milestone is an accomplishment worth celebrating.

“An accomplishment such as this is only possible through teamwork and cooperation of everyone involved,” said Colby Yeary, Pantex site manager.