A publication of the Office of Advanced Simulation & Computing, NA-114, NNSA Defense Programs
March 2008
NA-ASC-500-07—Issue 6
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Springtime in Washington
Editorial by Bob Meisner
Ret. General Smolen has introduced some organizational changes in Defense Programs at NNSA HQ. A major change that affects the ASC Program is that Dimitri Kusnezov has been asked to lead NA-11, I have assumed the role of acting ASC Division leader, and Njema Frazier is the acting deputy ASC Division Leader.
Our budget continues to be a challenge. The Future-Years Nuclear Security Program (FYNSP) budget continues to drop until 2011 when it finally begins to see some small increases. In this falling budget environment, we are making decisions on the future of the program with certain principles in mind:
- PRESERVE a simulation and modeling capability sufficient to certify and assess current weapons systems with a high degree of confidence.
- INVEST in the weapons science base to increase our ability to predict behaviors beyond our current experience derived from nuclear tests.
- USE CAPABILITIES in simulating nuclear device performance to analyze threats and develop responses to scenarios that span the space of possible hostile actions.
- SUPPORT TRANSFORMATION by ensuring that only those activities necessary for DP and NNSA missions are funded.
My objective is to ensure that we can deliver essential capabilities and services for the nation even in the face of substantial budget cuts. This may require that we make some difficult decisions that may affect how the laboratories contribute to defense issues, and we are informing the NNSA management of the budget levels where such decisions may need to be made.
My intention at this point is to press forward on the primary activities of the program. We have made significant progress over the years in moving toward a more predictive capability, in establishing national computing priorities, and in standardizing our capacity computing. We have succeeded in applying the largest computing systems to enhancing the reliability and safety of our stockpile. I plan to work with you all to increase our string of accomplishments, to encourage imaginative approaches to problems, and to continue our collaborative tri-lab approach.
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