Draft2:Atomic Weapons Establishment

Atomic Weapons Establishment on Wikipedia

File:Atomic Weapons Establishment - April 2023.jpg

Representatives from Sandia and the U.K.’s Atomic Weapons Establishment attended the March strategic intent meetings at the Labs. (Photo by Lonnie Anderson)

Template:AWE Twitter box The Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) is responsible for the design, manufacture and support of warheads for the United Kingdom's nuclear deterrent (Ministry of Defence). It is the successor to the Atomic Weapons Research Establishment (AWRE) with its main site on the former RAF Aldermaston and has major facilities at Burghfield, Blacknest and RNAD Coulport.

AWE plc is responsible for the day-to-day operations of AWE. AWE plc is owned by a consortium of Jacobs Engineering Group, Lockheed Martin UK, and Serco through AWE Management Ltd who hold a 25‑year contract (until March 2025) to operate AWE. All AWE sites remain owned by the UK government who also hold a golden share in AWE plc.

Official Site - awe.co.uk

DOE relevance

• National Ignition Facility partner
• US–UK Mutual Defence Agreement

Strategic intent document

Sandia National Laboratories and the United Kingdom’s Atomic Weapons Establishment have a partnership that is codified in a strategic intent agreement between the two institutions.

They meet semiannually to help strengthen vital relationships, increase understanding of core capabilities at both organizations and continue to build upon a collective strategic vision.

• In September 2021, as part of an annual health check of the partnership, Sandia senior leadership, led by Deputy Labs Director Laura McGill, visited AWE to review the strategic intent partnership and outline future plans. The review confirmed and reinforced the strong relationship between the two organizations.
• In April 2023, strategic-intent teams held a poster session to share progress and next steps in 11 key areas of nuclear deterrence, such as system engineering and integration, materials and engineering transformation.

Responsibilities

AWE is tasked to help the United Kingdom maintain a credible and effective minimum nuclear deterrent:

• To maintain the warheads for the Trident nuclear deterrent safely and reliably in service.
• To maintain a capability to design a new weapon, should it ever be required.
• To complete the dismantling and disposal of redundant warheads replaced by Trident.
• To develop the skills, technologies and techniques that could underpin future arms limitation treaties.

A significant program of investment took place over the three-year period from 2005 to 2008, of about £350 million per year, to provide assurance that the existing Trident missile warhead is reliable and safe throughout its intended in-service life. The new facilities and extra supporting infrastructure are required in the absence of live nuclear testing no longer allowed under the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty.

AWE co-operates with the Los Alamos National Laboratory in the United States and other American nuclear weapons laboratories in carrying out subcritical nuclear tests at the Nevada underground test site to obtain scientific data to maintain the safety and reliability of nuclear weapons. Subcritical tests are not banned by the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty on nuclear weapons. The most recent test took place in February 2006.

The cost of decommissioning AWE facilities when they become redundant, including nuclear waste disposal, was estimated at £3.4 billion in 2005.

Contact

• enquiries@awe.co.uk

Related

• Nevada National Security Site
• Mike Dunne
• Los Alamos National Laboratory
• US–UK Mutual Defence Agreement

External links

• U.S. – U.K. honor 60 years of nuclear collaboration
• Strategic Weapons in the 21st Century
• Atomic Weapons Establishment, Aldermaston UK site overview