The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) is on track to finalize the First Production Unit of the B61-13, an updated version of the B61 nuclear gravity bomb, within this fiscal year, which is notably ahead of the original schedule, as stated by an NNSA representative to Fox News.
As part of the initiative to enhance and ensure the effectiveness of the U.S. nuclear arsenal, the B61-13 is one of seven programs dedicated to modernizing warheads and expanding capabilities to target more challenging military objectives, as highlighted by the spokesperson. To expedite the deployment of this weapon, the NNSA has utilized manufacturing methods developed during the B61-12 program, which concluded with the final unit produced in 2024, and introduced various technical advancements to streamline the manufacturing process.
“Their creativity in system qualification put an aggressive set of plans in motion to meet stakeholder expectations,” Sandia National Laboratories said.
The statement comes a day after President Donald Trump’s nominee for NNSA administration, former Rep. Brandon Williams, faced off with senators during his confirmation hearing.
NNSA administrator nominee Brandon Williams testifies before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday, April 8, 2025. (Handout)
Williams notably testified that he would not advise the resumption of nuclear detonation tests last conducted in the United States in 1992. He said the ultimate decision would be “above my paygrade” but that he would not recommend tests and instead preferred to rely on “scientific information,” such as computer modeling done at NNSA laboratories based on data gathered from nonnuclear detonation tests.
His response came during a line of questioning by Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., who cited how “millions of people and acres of land were contaminated by radiation” during nuclear detonation testing conducted in her home state during the Cold War.
