DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY DIRECTED ENERGY BUDGET Question: How much is included in the budget in FY 1983, FY 1984, and FY 1985 for directed energy programs? Please provide a breakdown. Answer: For FY 1983, the Department of Energy's expenditures on directed energy research were $64 million. For FY 1984, the expenditures are expected to be about $118 million, and for FY 1985, $210 million. INERTIAL FUSION Question: Please explain the reduction in operating funding in the Inertial Confinement Fusion Program. Answer: The reduction in operating funding for the Inertial Confinement Fusion Program in the FY 1985 budget request is due primarily to the completion of the CO2 laser evaulation at the Los Alamos National Laboratory and a reduction in HALITE/CENTURION experiments DELETED INERTIAL CONFINEMENT FUSION FUNDING Question: Please provide a table showing the FY 1983, FY 1984, and FY 1985 funding by location for operating and plant and capital equipment. Answer: This information is provided in a table for the record. (the information follows:) ANTARES PROJECT Question: What was the total estimated cost to construct the ANTARES project? Answer: The total estimated construction cost of the ANTARES project was $62.5 million. The final costing has not yet been completed, but it appears to be within the estimates. ANTARES PROJECT Question: When was the ANTARES project completed? Answer: On November 8, 1983, the project successfully fired all 24 laser beams into the target chamber, which was the criteria for the successful completion of construction. ANTARES EXPERIMENTAL PROGRAM Question: What are the scientific and technical results you expect from this project? Answer: The carbon dioxide gas laser program at the Los Alamos National Laboratory has the primary purpose of evaluating the target physics and feasibility of long-wavelength fusion drivers. ANTARES will be used to evaluate candidate target concepts for longwavelength laser radiation and to validate energy scaling laws at five times the energy levels available previously. This evaluation will include variations in pulse duration and shape not accessible with other facilities. Important to both the Inertial Fusion Program and to the Weapons Physics Program, ANTARES will be used to study the generic physics of unstable hydrodynamics and fuel compression and will make significant contributions in evaluating directed energy weapons concepts. ANTARES OPERATIONS Question: after FY 1984? Does your budget support operating this facility Answer: Yes. The proposed Los Alamos National Laboratory FY 1985 budget of $30.5 million includes the operation of ANTARES through the first half of FY 1985. ANTARES PROJECT Question: How long was the planned operation of the facility when it was first proposed for construction? Answer: It was the plan to have a minimum of 2 years of target experiments starting in FY 1984. ANTARES OPERATING FUNDS Question: What additional funds would be required to operate the facility fully through FY 1985? Answer: Our request of $30.5 million for the Los Alamos National Laboratory Inertial Fusion Program will provide for adequate ANTARES experiments during the first half of FY 1985. To operate ANTARES fully for all of FY 1985, along with full Inertial Fusion Program support, would require an additional $14 million. NOVA PROJECT COMPLETION Question: When will the NOVA project be completed? Answer: The NOVA laser project is proceeding on schedule and within budget. NOVA construction is scheduled to be completed in the first quarter of fiscal year 1985. NOVA SCIENTIFIC CONTRIBUTIONS Question: What scientific and technical information will the operation of this project add to the Inertial Confinement Fusion Program and the development of nuclear weapons? Answer: The NOVA project will expand greatly the physics data base necessary for successful applications of inertial confinement fusion. NOVA also will contribute to a broad range of nuclear weapons physics experiments; approximately 25 percent of NOVA operation will be dedicated solely to weapons physics experiments. NOVA AND DIRECTED ENERGY WEAPONS Question: What will this project add to development of directed energy weapons? Answer: The NOVA project will contribute to a broad range of weapon physics developments, including directed energy weapons. For example, NOVA will continue the series of X-ray laser experiments begun on NOVETTE. These experiments will investigate key X-ray laser phenomena. DELETED NOVA OPERATIONS COMPARED TO NOVETTE Question: What level of operation will the FY 1985 budget provide for the NOVA facility compared to NOVETTE operations in FY 1983 and FY 1984? Answer: The FY 1985 budget is adequate for single-shift operation of the NOVA facility, allowing a utilization rate of approximately five experiments per week. The FY 1983 and FY 1984 budgets were adequate to support double-shift operation of the NOVETTE laser, allowing a nominal utilization rate of 8-10 experiments per week. Because NOVA is significantly larger and more complex than NOVETTE, its operational cost is expected to be approximately two to three times that of NOVETTE. BATTLEFIELD WEAPONS Question: The new warhead for the 8-inch artillery projectile is being produced and the President has ordered their storage in the United States. When do you expect the new warhead, W79, to be deployed in Europe to counter the Soviet threat? Answer: The decision to produce enhanced radiation warheads included guidance that such warheads would not be deployed without prior consultations with our Allies and then only after Presidential approval. Question: When will the DELETED DELETED warhead, W33, be replaced or retired so that the special nuclear materials can be reused? Answer: Retirement of part of the W33 warhead stockpile is already underway. We DELETED DELETED are planning for the reuse of the special nuclear materials to support new production. Question: Is retirement of the older W33's which are in Europe contingent upon deployment of the W79? Answer: Historically, nuclear-capable systems have been withdrawn from Europe as replacement capabilities (conventional, nuclear, or dual-capable) are deployed. Accordingly, we would expect W33 retirement scheduling to be influenced by various considerations, including the availability of the W79 (whether forward deployed or in CONUS). DELETED SENTRY SYSTEM Question: Please describe the new schedule for development of the Sentry LOAD system warhead. Answer: The development of Sentry, the endoatmospheric interceptor that succeeded the Low Altitude Defense System (LOAD) interceptor, was terminated in February 1983. |