Defense Nuclear Agency

The Defense Nuclear Agency (DNA) was established in 1971 as a successor to the Armed Forces Special Weapons Project, with the mission of managing the United States' nuclear weapons testing and research programs. Serving as the Department of Defense’s primary agency for nuclear matters, DNA played a pivotal role in developing nuclear weapons effects knowledge, safety protocols, and arms control verification technologies during the Cold War. The agency coordinated nuclear test programs and provided technical expertise on nuclear survivability and defense planning. In 1996, the DNA was reorganized and renamed the Defense Special Weapons Agency, eventually merging into the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) in 1998 to address broader weapons of mass destruction concerns.