Panel: US can extend life of old nukes

ALBUQUERQUE (AP) - An independent panel says the United States can extend the life of aging nuclear weapons for decades with existing programs, a finding that activists contend means there's no need for the nation to design replacements for the nuclear arsenal.

The findings of the JASON committee are classified, but an unclassified summary released Thursday said current methods are sufficient to keep the weapons reliable in the absence of nuclear testing.

The group of independent scientific experts who do technical reviews for the government said the program's success "is a direct consequence of the excellent work of the people in the U.S. nuclear weapons complex."

The executive director of the Washington, D.C.-based Arms Control Association says the key conclusion is that the program can work well into the foreseeable future.