Workshop on the Reliable Replacement Warhead

On March 23, 2006 the Union of Concerned Scientists and the Center for Science, Technology and Security Policy at the American Association for the Advancement of Science hosted a workshop of technical experts to discuss the Department of Energy's plans to replace existing warheads in the U.S. nuclear stockpile with new warheads developed under the Reliable Replacement Warhead (RRW) program. The purpose of the workshop was to review the reliability of the current US nuclear arsenal and to clarify the possible benefits and limitations of the RRW program as currently envisioned by the Department of Energy.

The workshop participants included active and retired scientists and engineers from the three national nuclear weapons laboratories; representatives from the National Nuclear Security Administration and the U.S. Strategic Command; and leading academic and non-governmental technical experts with years of experience advising the U.S. government in nuclear weapons design, nuclear weapons stockpile maintenance and U.S. nuclear weapons policy.