NNSA and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Advance Laser Upgrade for Nuclear Stockpile Mission Ahead of Schedule

The Enhanced Fusion Yield Capability (EYC) project is a critical upgrade designed to support NNSA's nuclear stockpile modernization mission. The EYC project will raise NIF's peak recurring laser energy from 2.2 megajoules to 2.6 megajoules. That increased laser energy will significantly raise NIF's fusion yields, providing more relevant conditions to assess and modernize the nation's nuclear weapons stockpile.

"The United States holds a decisive scientific advantage over our adversaries," said NNSA Administrator Brandon Williams. "Thanks to President Trump and Secretary Wright, we are restoring common sense to policymaking, cutting unnecessary bureaucracy, and accelerating the modernization of our nuclear stockpile. Efforts like NIF demonstrate that America leads the world, and this project will further strengthen our understanding and confidence in our nuclear deterrent."

In 2022, NIF became the first laboratory to achieve fusion ignition, in which more fusion energy was produced than laser energy required to start the reaction. NIF has since repeated that achievement with higher fusion yields and remains the only facility in the world to have achieved ignition.