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The Pantex Plant has achieved a significant milestone in nuclear deterrence by completing the first production unit (FPU) of the W76 Mk4B reentry body.

This accomplishment highlights the dedication to the United States’ nuclear deterrent by sites from across the Nuclear Security Enterprise (NSE) and the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA).

Pantex completed the FPU three months ahead of schedule. The W76 Mk4B builds upon the W76 warhead, which comprises the largest percentage of strategic weapons in the US nuclear inventory and is a key component of the Trident II (D5) missile system. This milestone is of immense importance, primarily because it represents a critical step in maintaining and enhancing the United States’ nuclear deterrence capabilities

The effort was a collaborative achievement involving Pantex, Kansas City National Security Campus, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratories, the United States Navy, and Lockheed Martin.

Each entity played an integral role, navigating challenges that included component producibility, testing-hardware availability, and facility capacity. Effective communication and collaboration among the sites were crucial to overcoming these challenges and achieving the FPU.

“Reaching this milestone required a great deal of effort not only from Pantex employees, but thousands of workers at NSE sites across the country, including NNSA and Department of Warpersonnel,” said Kelly Beierschmitt, president and general manager of PanTeXas Deterrence, LLC, the management and operating contractor for the Pantex Plant. “The success of this program has required the highest standards of safety, security, and quality from everyone involved. I personally want to commend these workers for their contributions to the effectiveness and completion of this milestone while ensuring our nation’s nuclear deterrence.”

Beierschmitt told the Enterprise Pantex expects to maintain the same level of productivity throughout the W76 Mk4B program.

“We’ve been managing the W76 units for many, many years,” Beierschmitt said. “Our production technicians are experts in this process. The tooling is specifically tailored to this program, and we see no major supply chain risks coming from Lockhead Martin, Kansas City, or any of the other production sites. We ought to have a smooth trajectory to the LPU – the Last Production Unit.”

Beierschmitt said the program’s LPU will be several years out.

“Achieving the W76 Mk4B FPU ahead of schedule demonstrates the NSE’s ability to accelerate mission delivery to meet the nation’s needs,” said Pantex Field Office Manager Jason Armstrong. “The collaboration among NSE labs, plants, and sites that led to this milestone is truly commendable and is what enables us to deliver to the Navy what’s required to meet our national security objectives.”

“As Pantex began working with the other sites on the program, we identified the opportunity to complete the FPU early, which benefits the nation by delivering the NNSA’s national security mission ahead of schedule,” said Pantex W76 program manager Norbert Chmura. “Recently, Pantex successfully completed a number of production responsibilities early, which meant our facilities were available for an earlier start time on the W76 Mk4B. While that sounds easy, pulling a program forward requires additional effort from all of the NSE sites working on the program. The accelerated timeline is indicative of the great teamwork by all involved.”

With the W76 Mk4B FPU now complete, Pantex and its NSE partners continue to work together to navigate future challenges and strengthen the nation’s defense.

Home of one resident is total loss, fire chief says

A Howardwick man lost his home after an early morning fire tore through his Janny Street neighborhood Tuesday, May 19.

Fire Chief Jacob Hodge said the City of Howardwick Volunteer Fire Department was dispatched at 1:07 a.m. after residents were alerted to a fire by the sound of what was probably a propane tank exploding.

Hodge said the cause of the fire has not yet been determined and said it wasn’t clear if the explosion caused the fire or a fire caused the explosion. Another tank later exploded in the blaze.

Emergency personnel began immediately evacuating residents in the area, and one resident who could not walk had to be removed physically.

Hodge said a strong north wind drove the fire which was moving erratically.

One occupied mobile home – the residence of John Smithers – was totally destroyed along with an outbuilding, the fire chief said. Smithers was not home at the time of the fire.

The fire then burned a neighboring storage building and a carport with a van under it.

A camper was destroyed as well as a shop building on Olita Drive, and another trailer house was substantially damaged, but Hodge said it was unclear if it was presently occupied.

Mutual aid was received from volunteer fire departments in Clarendon, Hedley, Groom, and McLean; and by 4:00 a.m., the fire was contained. Most units left the scene by 7:30, but some Howardwick firefighters were still watching hot spots at noon.

“Without the cooperation of area departments and the mutual aid, we could not have done this,” Hodge said.

Local officials remind everyone to be very cautious of fire because it can spread quickly in the present drought conditions.