BGI provided engineering services and program management support to the staff of National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) Associate Administrator for Safety and Health, Chief of Defense Nuclear Safety, and the NNSA Office of Safety. BGI’s staff of Senior Technical Advisors (STA) and Nuclear Explosive Safety (NES) consultants provided support to assist with the mission to maintain and enhance the safety, security, and reliability of the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile.
BGI provided technical and management services to support the NNSA Office of Safety and programs for the Deputy Administrator for Defense. One of the primary missions of NNSA is to maintain and enhance the safety, security, and reliability of the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile. All nuclear explosives and Nuclear Explosive Operations (NEO) require special safety, security, and use control consideration because of the potentially devastating consequences of an accident or unauthorized act. The NES program supports the requirement that NEOs must be designed and conducted in a manner that meets the nuclear explosive surety standards. Three key objectives were
- to provide a means to ensure use of U.S. nuclear weapons and warheads when authorized and to prevent unauthorized or accidental use,
- to protect critical information and information systems, and
- to maintain a supporting infrastructure that assures the reliability of current capabilities and that can respond to future requirements.
BGI’s primary role was to provide technical and management support in its oversight role. These technical and management services were accomplished by handpicked, emeritus level, subject matter experts and professionals in specific areas required to assess NES and other high consequence operations. BGI’s STAs stimulated a more complete consideration of NES proposed operations by project teams and suggested opportunities to senior NNSA management to improve the effectiveness of NES evaluations and processes. Our STAs conducted NES evaluations associated with design attributes of new and refurbished nuclear weapons to prevent nuclear detonation or main charge high explosive detonation or deflagration, in circumstances such as exposure to an adverse environment, unauthorized acts, or deliberate unauthorized use.
As key members of the Nuclear Explosive Safety Study Group (NESSG), BGI staff shared in the responsibility of determining whether controls put in place adequately meet nuclear explosive surety standards. The NESSG also evaluates security operations and utilizes control measures for potential adverse NES impact. Our STAs have experience with nonproliferation, safeguards of the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, nuclear waste management, as well as fuel cycle and reactor technology assessment and commercialization studies. BGI ensured control of sensitive nuclear data and personally identifiable information under the terms of this contract.
