“Plutonium aging in U.S. nuclear arsenal not affecting weapons’ performance, study finds,” Santa Fe New Mexican, August 11, 2026

“An independent scientific advisory group to the federal government found that the plutonium in the United States’ existing nuclear weapons stockpile is “aging slowly” and degradation issues “do not call into question present weapons performance.”

“The executive summary of a congressionally mandated study conducted by the scientific group JASON, published last week by the U.S. Department of Energy, evaluated the status and lifespan of plutonium pits, which serve as the trigger devices for nuclear weapons.”