Declassification of Certain Characteristics of the United States Nuclear
Weapon Stockpile
U.S. Department of Energy, Office of the Press Secretary, Washington, DC
20585
Declassification of Certain Characteristics of the United States Nuclear
Weapon Stockpile
Specifically
Background
Benefits
Who Are the Key Stakeholders?
Contact
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Questions and Answers
The Department of Energy and the Department of Defense have jointly
declassified certain characteristics of the Nation's nuclear weapon
stockpile.
- The Department of Energy and the Department of Defense have
jointly declassified the total megatonnage of the nuclear weapon
stockpile for the years 1945 to the present.
- The Department of Energy and the Department of Defense have
jointly declassified the total number of nuclear weapons in the
stockpile for the years 1949 to 1961.
- The Department of Energy and the Department of Defense have
jointly declassified the total number of weapon builds by year for
weapon systems fully retired.
- The Department of Energy and the Department of Defense
have jointly declassified the total number of weapon retirements for the
years 1945 to 1989. Disassembly of weapons for disposal from 1980 to
the present is also provided.
- See attached charts for detailed descriptions of the
declassified stockpile characteristics.
- The size of the stockpile has changed dramatically over the past
50 years. In recent years, a large number of weapons have been retired
in response to treaty obligations and unilateral commitments.
- After reaching peak megatonnage around 1960, total megatonnage in
the stockpile has decreased to about 10 percent of the peak.
- The quantities listed here are based on the evaluation of the
records available. The quantities may be updated or revised in the
future after re-evaluation of the methodology used originally.
- Retirement numbers provided here reflect weapons retired for
conversions, modifications, or disassembles for disposal. Retirement
numbers depend critically on how the term "retirement" is defined.
- Disassembly for disposal reflect weapons actually dismantled
without including the number of weapons dismantled to change out a
component within the weapon or dismantled and rebuilt for quality
assurance reliability testing.
- As part of the Secretary of Energy's Openness Initiative, the
Department of Energy and the Department of Defense are declassifying
information regarding characteristics of the United States nuclear
weapon stockpile. As a result of this declassification, the American
public will have information that is important to the current debate
over the nuclear arsenal. The information released will help provide a
historical perspective of how the stockpile has changed over the past 50
years. It should encourage other nations to declassify similar nuclear
weapon stockpile information.
- With the U.S. release of this information, it is hoped that other
nuclear weapon states will be encouraged to release similar information.
The release of retirement rates up to 1989 will show nonnuclear weapon
states that the United States has acted responsibly by retiring and
dismantling weapons it no longer requires.
- The Public. The public will have a better understanding of the
nature of the Nation's nuclear deterrent.
- Freedom of Information Act Requesters. This information has been
long sought by certain public interest groups through Freedom of
Information Act requests.
- Public Interest Organizations. Stakeholders include
environmental, safety and health groups, historians, archivists,
researchers, scientists, and industrial workers, as well as State and
Federal personnel. With this declassification, those interested in
oversight of nuclear weapons related activities will have additional
information regarding the U.S. nuclear weapon stockpile. Public
interest organizations which have expressed such an interest include
(but are not limited to): Energy Research Foundation, Environmental
Information Network, Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace, League of Women
Voters, Livermore Conversion Project, Military Production Network,
National Security Archive, Natural Resources Defense Council, Nevada
Desert Experience, Physicians for Social Responsibility, Plutonium
Challenge, and the Sierra Club.
- Arms Control Negotiators. Negotiators for the United
States can use this information to seek similar information from other nuclear
weapon states.
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Public Affairs
Contact: Sam Grizzle
(202) 586-5806
Declassified Stockpile Data 1945 to 1994
U.S. Department of Energy, Office of the Press Secretary, Washington, DC
20585
Q. Why wasn't this information declassified earlier?
A. The United States maintains the nuclear weapon stockpile as a
deterrent. During the Cold War, most information concerning the
stockpile was classified for clear reasons of national security. Upon
review, it was determined that some general information concerning the
stockpile can now be released without harm to national security.
Q. When will more detailed information on the nuclear stockpile be
declassified?
A. The nuclear stockpile is extremely important to the defense of the
Nation. At this time, release of more detailed information is not
judged to be in the Nation's best interest.
Q. Why are total quantities provided only up to 1961?
A. Past total stockpile numbers which are composed, even partially, of
weapon systems still in the stockpile remain classified. Further data
on total stockpile numbers may be released in the future as additional
weapon systems are retired.
Q. Why are retirement rates and disassembly for disposal rates
different from each other from year to year?
A. Retirement is an accounting change that authorizes removal of a
weapon from the nuclear stockpile and its transfer to the Department of
Energy for conversions, modifications, or eventual disassembly.
Disassembly for disposal is the process of taking apart a nuclear
weapon. Disassembly rates depend on available capacity at Pantex.
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