Energy Department Picks IBM for World's Fastest Supercomputer

Strategic Insights -

The Energy Department has chosen IBM to build a supercomputer capable of 10 trillion calculations per second, a leap forward in the ability to track the reliability of the US nuclear arsenal. The new system, to be delivered in two years, will significantly enhance the ability to monitor the stockpile without the need for nuclear testing. This development comes as part of the drive for Senate ratification of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty signed by President Clinton in 1996. The treaty aims to put an end to nuclear testing worldwide.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Energy Department has awarded IBM an $85 million contract to build the world's fastest supercomputer, capable of 10 trillion calculations per second.
  • The new system, known as "Option White," will enhance the ability to track the reliability of the US nuclear arsenal without the need for nuclear testing.
  • The project is part of a drive for Senate ratification of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty signed by President Clinton in 1996.
  • President Clinton has sent Congress his second annual certification of a lack of concerns requiring a return to underground testing.
  • The treaty aims to put an end to nuclear testing worldwide.
  • President George Bush announced a post-Cold War moratorium on underground testing in 1992, which has been extended by President Clinton.
  • The new supercomputer is expected to be delivered in two years.

Statistics:

  • The new supercomputer will perform 10 trillion calculations per second.
  • The system is expected to be delivered in two years.
  • The $85 million contract is a significant step forward in providing for the safety, security, and reliability of the US nuclear arsenal.
  • The Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty was signed by President Clinton in September 1996.
  • President George Bush announced a post-Cold War moratorium on underground testing in 1992.
  • President Clinton's certification of a lack of concern requiring a return to underground testing has been sent to Congress for the second year in a row.

Sources:

  • "Energy Department Picks IBM for World's Fastest Supercomputer" by Jim Wolf, Reuters
  • Clinton, Bill. (1996, September). Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty.
  • Bush, George H.W. (1992). Post-Cold War Moratorium on Underground Testing.