The Department of Defense and National Nuclear Security Administration launched a new supercomputing system on Aug. 1 at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.
DOD said Thursday the supercomputer is designed to strengthen the nation’s biological defense programs by enhancing the computing capabilities available to them.
The new biodefense supercomputer will have capabilities for running large-scale simulations and AI-based modeling. These features will be leveraged for different activities critical to protecting the country against biological attacks. Defense activities that will utilize the said capabilities include biosurveillance or monitoring, threat identification and characterization, advanced materials development and accelerated medical countermeasures.
DOD and NNSA are working together to expand the computing systems by utilizing the same system architecture as LLNL’s supercomputer El Capitan. The upcoming exascale supercomputer, which will be operational later this year, is expected to be the most powerful of its kind. Once the supercomputer is ready, its capabilities will be made available to various government agencies, international allies, partners, academia and industries.
The Chemical and Biological Defense Program-funded supercomputer is in line with a 2023 agreement between DoD and NNSA to collaborate in tackling the various biodefense challenges facing the nation.
Ian Watson, deputy assistant secretary of defense for chemical and biological defense, said, “This new supercomputing system and other technical enablers underscore DoD’s commitment to building enduring advantages and delivering cutting-edge defensive capabilities that will ensure the Total Force can deter or prevail against advanced chemical and biological threats.”
Janis Parenti, manager of the NNSA Livermore Field Office, noted that the collaboration “will continue to drive cutting-edge science to further enhance and strengthen our nation’s capabilities to respond to biological threats.”
Pat Falcone, deputy director of LLNL, added, “Bringing that exquisite computation and precision instrumentation to the biodefense fight is really what our story is today.”