Stockpile Stewardship Program (SSP)

Overview

The Stockpile Stewardship Program (SSP) was created in 1993-1994 as a condition of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). Its purpose is to maintain the safety and reliability of the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile without underground nuclear testing.

Key Documents

• PDD/NSC 15 (1993): Presidential Decision Directive that created the SSP. Explicitly states that 'the ICF program is considered by DOE to be a major component of several of the PDD program elements.'
• National Defense Authorization Act of 1994: Congressional authorization for the SSP.
• Federal Register (October 1995): DOE Stockpile Stewardship Program EIS.

Major Facilities

• NIF (National Ignition Facility, LLNL): Primary mission is Stockpile Stewardship. 'The NIF experimental capability will allow nuclear-weapons scientists to assess stockpile problems, verify computational tools, test for nuclear-weapons effects, and increase their understanding of weapons physics.' Energy is a secondary objective.
• Z Machine (Sandia): 'Crucial to Sandia's mission to assure the reliability and safety of our nuclear stockpile as it ages.'
• Atlas (LANL → Nevada Test Site): 'Designed to require minimal maintenance, provide excellent diagnostic access, and rapid turnaround' for SSP experiments. Relocated to Nevada Test Site to 'continue its experimental program supporting the Stockpile Stewardship program.'

Alternative Explanation

The SSP provides an alternative explanation for the fusion-weapons dual-use: NNSA fusion facilities are primarily weapons facilities with fusion energy as a secondary benefit. The direction is primarily WEAPONS → FUSION (weapons need → build facility → secondary fusion research), not FUSION → WEAPONS. This means the fusion-weapons connection is stronger than initially thought (fusion facilities ARE weapons facilities), but the SSP also provides a benign explanation (maintaining existing stockpile, not developing new weapons).

Both Explanations Consistent

Both the thesis (covert plasma weapons may exist) and the SSP alternative (fusion is secondary benefit of weapons stewardship) are consistent with the evidence. The thesis is moderately strengthened but not confirmed.