Inspector General Robert P. Storch announced today that the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General released the “Evaluation of the Air Force's Nuclear Design Certification of the F-15E, B-2, and F-35A Aircraft to Carry the B61-12 Nuclear Bomb.”
The DoD OIG evaluated the extent to which the Air Force’s nuclear design certification of the F-15E, B-2, and F-35A to carry the B61-12 nuclear bomb complied with DoD and Air Force requirements. The OIG found that the Air Force complied with the Nuclear Design Certification requirements for the F-15E, B-2, and F-35A aircraft to carry the B61-12 nuclear bomb in accordance with DoD and Air Force requirements. Although the Air Force complied with these requirements, the Air Force’s Independent Verification and Validation (IV&V) processes could be improved with detailed guidance to ensure independence when conducting IV&Vs.
IG Storch stated that, ”without clear guidance on how to conduct and document IV&V for this critical certification, the Air Force risks incorrectly certifying its current or future aircraft to carry nuclear weapons.”
The evaluation recommended that the Air Force Chief of Safety work in coordination with the Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center Commander to update Air Force Manual (AFMAN) 91-119, “Safety Design Criteria for Nuclear Weapons Systems Software,” March 2020, to include detail and clarity of IV&V requirements. The recommended updates to AFMAN 91-119 should include how to select an independent verification organization (IVO) team and how to ensure independence during the IV&V. Additionally, the updates should address how prime contractor’s laboratory, equipment, and software may be used during an IV&V when government assets are not available.
The DoD OIG will monitor the progress towards fully implementing these recommendations.