*About $17 million from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and $3 million from Los Alamos National Laboratory will be provided to the Nevada Test Site in support of the laboratory programs.

Question: Provide the FY 1985, FY 1986, and FY 1987 funding for x-ray laser, hypervelocity pellets, high power

electromagnetically-generated weapons, and optical frequency lasers. Provide this by location.

Answer: The operating estimates are provided in a table which I would like to insert in the record. Capital and construction are not broken out by individual effort.

Question: Which of the concepts under development appear to offer the most promise for the future?

Answer: With respect to the nuclear directed energy weapon concepts being investigated by the Department of Energy, our focus at this time is to understand the Soviet capability against our present deterrent forces and any defensive system we may develop. It is premature to assess which concept or concepts may hold the greatest promise. As a component, if necessary, of a U.S. strategic defense initiative system all concepts are at a relatively early stage of feasibility research. While one or two might be considered more mature at this point in time, the level of maturity is not a reliable indicator of future success. It would not be prudent to narrow the scope of research before sufficient data is in hand to assess technical feasibility of each concept being considered.

Question: What is the funding from within the testing program that is directed at the SDI program?

DELETED in

Answer: In FY 1987, we estimate that about test operating expenses will be related to strategic defense research. The overall weapons test operating budget request is $633.8 million. The FY 1986 estimate is about DELETED within an overall test budget of about $501.4 million. The appropriation transfer would provide for about $13.0 million in test operating funds.

Inertial Confinement Fusion

Question: The ICF program has been reduced in FY 1987, and in large part included in the Research and Development budget. Please describe the status of this program and the reasons for the cuts.

Answer: Inertial fusion research and development activities are a part of the technology base of the overall weapons program. The Department of Energy has proposed that these activities at the national weapons laboratories be funded in fiscal year 1987 as part of the Weapons Research, Development, and Testing, so that priorities can be set at each laboratory to meet our nuclear weapons and Strategic Defense Initiative commitments to the Department of Defense, as well as protect the technology base against erosion during a time of severe budgetary limitations. Based on consultations with the laboratory directors, we expect inertial fusion activities within the weapons technology base to be maintained at near the fiscal year 1986 levels, commensurate with the higher priorities for nuclear weapon and Strategic Defense Initiative commitments. The programs at the inertial fusion support laboratories are supported at slightly below the fiscal year 1986 level in the President's budget request.

Question: Please provide a table showing the FY 84, 85, 86, and 87 funding by each location for operating expenses and PACE.

Answer: A table providing inertial fusion funding by site is submitted for the record.

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Question:

Supplemental Request

Can you provide us with a list of the major items of capital equipment at each location and the full cost of the equipment?

Answer:

Of the $62 million requested appropriation transfer, $32.3 million will be used to purchase capital equipment as shown in the following table:

(B/A $ in Millions)

Capital equipment includes test-related hardware such as diagnostic trailers and measuring-instrument calibration devices as Most of the capital well as equipment to support laboratory experiments and materials research, fabrication, and characterization. equipment is sufficiently generic that it could also be used to support other laboratory programs. Virtually all the weapons research programs underway at the national laboratories have need for test-related and materials development equipment.

Question:

Please provide us with a breakdown of the additional personnel needs at each location and the estimated cost for each.

Answer:

The fully loaded estimated costs for additional research and development laboratory personnel at each location is provided in the following table:

(B/A $ in Millions)

Question: Please provide us with an estimate on how these funds would affect the number of tests, the complexity of these tests and the timing of the individual tests.

Answer: Prospects for improved technical content and timely execution of the DELETED planned advanced development category strategic defense initiative related tests in FY 1987 should improve. We do not believe it is feasible at this late date to attempt to add another test to our schedule for this fiscal year or alter the current complexity of test experiments.

Question: For the record, please provide a breakdown of the full operating expense request which includes the amount for FTE's at each location, and the amount for contract studies/contract activities with a description of each major activity.

Answer: The operating expense breakdown, and the associated laboratory research and development FTEs, are shown in the following table:

These funds will be used to accelerate the highest priority nuclear directed energy weapons research toward a technologylimited pace. Funds will be used to accelerate critical underground nuclear tests and to add additional people to the research efforts and support outside contracts. As a result of the overall increased level of effort, support activities will be augmented in the areas of design physics, computational modeling, diagnostics development, laboratory experiments, advanced materials development, and advanced engineering. A relatively minor amount of approximately 10 percent would be provided to outside contractors for activities such as materials development and procurements.