Don Cook - Stockpile Stewardship and Nuclear Modernization

As the global security environment grows more complex, how can the United States maintain a safe, secure, and effective nuclear deterrent without returning to nuclear testing? In this episode of NucleCast, Manolis sits down with Don Cook, former Deputy Administrator for Defense Programs at the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), to discuss the evolving challenges facing the U.S. nuclear weapons enterprise.

Drawing on decades of experience, Cook examines how the strategic assumptions that shaped nuclear policy in the early 2010s have been upended by renewed great power competition, Russia's aggression, and China's military modernization. He explains the critical role of the Stockpile Stewardship Program, the remarkable advances in simulation and modeling technologies, and how scientists continue to certify the safety and reliability of the U.S. nuclear stockpile without explosive testing.

The conversation also explores the importance of legacy underground test data, the challenges of pit production, aging infrastructure, workforce development, and the investments needed to modernize the nation's nuclear enterprise for the decades ahead. Cook offers a candid assessment of where the U.S. stands today and what priorities should guide future leaders responsible for sustaining the deterrent.

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