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The W93 warhead and Mk7 reentry body program is moving into the EMD phase, where work will center on finalizing a production design and demonstrating it can be manufactured to meet Navy needs. The effort marks the first U.S. nuclear warhead and reentry system program initiated in nearly four decades and is intended to field a modern warhead for the U.S. Submarine Launched Ballistic Missile fleet.
“W93/Mk7 will provide flexibility and adaptability to meet future Warfighter needs and ensure an uninterrupted at sea deterrent for the sea-based leg of the nuclear triad,” said Vice Adm. Douglas Williams, director of PAE SSP. “We were able to accelerate our entry into this next phase because of the dedicated partnership between PAE SSP, National Nuclear Security Administration, and our industry base. This is what working at hyper-speed looks like.”
PAE SSP is working with the National Nuclear Security Administration, within the Department of Energy, and its associated national laboratories under the interagency Nuclear Weapons Life Cycle process to design, develop, and produce the W93/Mk7 warhead and reentry system.
“Credible deterrence demands that we move with urgency, and the progress we’re making on W93/Mk7 demonstrates exactly that,” said Brandon Williams, administrator of the National Nuclear Security Administration. “We are revitalizing and modernizing the Nuclear Security Enterprise to design, develop, and produce this critical new weapon with the precision our Warfighters demand. We will continue working together to deliver this capability to the fleet and ensure our sea-based strategic deterrent remains ready for the future.”
PAE SSP sustains the strategic weapon system on Ohio-class ballistic missile submarines and supports integration of the Trident II D5 Life Extension (D5LE) weapon system on the new Columbia-class SSBNs. The organization is also advancing the sea-based leg of the nuclear triad through development of the D5LE2 strategic weapon system and pursuing future regional strike capabilities via SLCM-N and a non-nuclear hypersonic conventional prompt strike system.
