Frank Klotz
The United States must continue to lead international efforts to limit and reduce nuclear arsenals, combat nuclear proliferation, and secure nuclear materials across the globe, the retired military officer who has been nominated to lead the National Nuclear Security Administration told a Senate committee.
But the NNSA has a second, unique responsibility: maintain a safe weapons arsenal, retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Frank Klotz said in prepared remarks to the Senate Armed Services Committee on Thursday morning.
“Appropriately-sized nuclear forces still play an essential role in protecting U.S. and allied security interests, even as we seek to reduce the overall number and role of nuclear weapons in our national security policy,” Klotz said. “As President Obama and congressional leaders have repeatedly emphasized, as long as nuclear weapons exist, we will maintain a safe, secure, and effective nuclear arsenal.”
Klotz said the two roles are different but complementary.
President Barack Obama and Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz have nominated Klotz, a Virginia resident, to serve as under secretary and NNSA administrator. The NNSA is a semi-independent part of the U.S. Department of Energy, and it is responsible for managing and securing the nation’s nuclear weapons, nuclear nonproliferation, and naval reactor programs. The Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge is an NNSA site.
Klotz said many of the NNSA’s successes “go largely unheralded.
“It has made tremendous progress in helping to achieve the president’s goal of securing vulnerable nuclear materials around the globe,” Klotz said. “It is delivering the life-extended W76-1 warhead to the Navy on schedule. And, it is currently transferring work at the Kansas City plant into a new, modern facility that will greatly improve efficiency—which was constructed on time and on budget.”
Still, he said escalating costs in several major programs are cause for serious concern, especially as pressures on overall government spending continue to mount.
“Restoring trust in NNSA’s ability to deliver on its commitments requires strong leadership focus on managing costs to deliver capability for less expense,” Klotz said. “It also requires re-building partnerships between the headquarters and the field; between federal employees and the laboratories and plants; and between NNSA and the Congress and the Department of Defense.”
Klotz said he wants to ensure that the nuclear weapons stockpile is sustained, facilities are modernized, and the nation helps prevent nuclear materials from “falling into the hands” of terrorists and would-be proliferators. The NNSA should also continue its leading-edge scientific research, support the Navy’s nuclear reactor program, and protect the safety and security of its sites and employees, and the public, he said.
Klotz said he would draw upon his recent experience as the first commander of Air Force Global Strike Command, which has responsibility for all of America’s nuclear-capable long-range bombers and land-based ballistic missiles.
“When we established the Command in 2009, our first task was to establish clear lines of authority, responsibility and accountability,” Klotz said. “We also placed strong emphasis on strengthening the safety and security culture, while at the same time streamlining processes and eliminating needlessly burdensome, non-value-added activities that stood in the way of our people and their incentive to innovate. Finally, we continually stressed that everyone in the organization, regardless of job, or rank, or seniority was a valued member of the team and that her or his work was absolutely essential to success. If confirmed, this is the leadership approach I intend to bring to NNSA.”
Read the full statement on the NNSA site here.
Jim says
U.S. commercial and research nuclear facilities are vulnerable to theft of bomb-grade nuclear materials, sabotage or major attack, a study found.
The conclusion by the Nuclear Proliferation Prevention Project at the University of Texas at Austin’s LBJ School of Public Affairs was reached in a study of 107 commercial nuclear reactors and research facilities that was conducted under contract to the U.S. Department of Defense.
Aneel Kumar says
Somehow the US policies are working in favour of nuclear proliferation instead of stopping it, Indo-US Civil nuclear, US giving covering platforms to Israel nuclear arsenal, increasing budget for B-52 bombers, so how nuclear proliferation can be prevent by US if on one side they are increasing such funding.
TJ Garland says
“A safe, secure, and effective nuclear arsenal”
Where ere you when this occured, Mr. Klotz?
http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/military/news/4251490
TJ Garland says
The above link was the final “official” report. Below is what investigative reporters think happened:
http://www.globalresearch.ca/missing-nukes-treason-of-the-highest-order/7158
Gary Zarkins says
The Globalresearch.ca article is the biggest load of garbage I’ve read in years. Complete misinformation, speculation, and outright lies to support moronic conspiracy theories. The author has zero understanding of what he wrote about. If you had read their entire article you never would have posted it her, at least I hope you wouldn’t.
TJ Garland says
What is your theory of how the nukes were loaded on the bombers without pilots, crew, and ammo handlers noticing?
In my short active Navy career in the 70s, nukes were guarded like Greek virgins.
Gary Zarkins says
After working conventional and nuclear munitions in the Air Force for most of my life AND reading both of your articles in their entirety, there is no need for theory. What happened has been very clearly stated elsewhere and those responsible and their chain of command have been held accountable. New procedures have been implemented and the level of oversight has been greatly increased. Many huge mistakes were made, some accidental and some intentional.
Your first article was written before the full results of the multiple investigations were released, and if you research a little more you’ll find those results.
Your second article, except for the mostly accurate but still incomplete list of punishments, was almost completely garbage. If you believed any of what they said, you have bigger things to worry about than one incident from 6 years ago.
TJ Garland says
Great! Got a link to your real final report?
Gary Zarkins says
Ask and ye shall receive. Here’s a few of the many out there:
http://www.fas.org/nuke/guide/usa/doctrine/usaf/Minot_DSB-0208.pdf
A very thorough and accurate Wikipedia article (I rarely use Wikipedia as a source, but this article impressed me. Just be aware that their articles can be edited at any time.): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007_United_States_Air_Force_nuclear_weapons_incident
NASA PDF download: http://nsc.nasa.gov/SFCS/SystemFailureCaseStudyFile/Download/184
Statements from 3 Generals to the Senate Armed Services Committee: http://www.airforcemag.com/SiteCollectionDocuments/Testimony/2008%20docs/021208Darnell%20et%20al.pdf
One of many GPO documents: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CHRG-110shrg45602/html/CHRG-110shrg45602.htm
TJ Garland says
Thanks. The wikipedia article was excellent.
The global research article was a lot more exciting.
Gary Zarkins says
You’re welcome.
Sadly, too many people mistake “exciting” for “factual”.
Gary Zarkins says
I’ve tried 3 times to post the articles, the previous attempts all disappeared shortly after I posted them. Hopefully this time it stays.
johnhuotari says
I do see the links above, so you should be fine. Sometimes it just takes a few minutes for new comments and posts to register.
Gary Zarkins says
Thanks John.
The other times the entire post showed up after I posted it, but a minute or 2 later the whole thing would disappear, and they didn’t even show up in Recent Comments.
Now if Disqus could just make comments readable in Mobile formats. Once you have 3 replies to the same comment, they mash together on the right and are not readable. At least they do on my iPod and iPhone.