Legacy

In 1950, Aldermaston became the site of the UK Government’s Atomic Weapons Programme, initially named ‘High Explosive Research’, under the supervision of Manhattan Project veteran William Penney.

It was designated as the Atomic Weapons Research Establishment (AWRE) in 1952, and in the same year successfully tested the UK’s first nuclear device in Operation Hurricane, conducted in Western Australia. In 1957, AWRE designed the UK’s first hydrogen bomb, paving the way for the 1958 Mutual Defence Agreement, which remains in place today and allows for the sharing of nuclear materials, technology, and information between the UK and US.

Throughout the following years, AWRE designed and developed a succession of warheads for both the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy. In 1980, the Trident programme was announced as the successor to the Polaris missile system, cementing submarine launched ballistic missiles as the basis of the UK’s deterrent. In 1987, AWRE became the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) as the fissile, explosive, and conventional component manufacture was brought together into one organisation.

AWE became a government-owned, contractor-operated business in 1993 and would remain so for the following 27 years. During this time the Trident warhead entered service which, since 1998, has been the UK’s only nuclear weapons system, remaining as the foundation of our nuclear deterrent to the present day.

In the years since, AWE has conducted operations to maintain and underwrite Trident, ensuring that it remains an effective and credible deterrent in the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty era. The inability to conduct full-scale nuclear testing has led to investment in pure science, modelling and simulation capabilities, which have since grown to impressive breadth and strength. These include facilities like our world-class laser Orion, which has delivered some of the most powerful laser beams ever created, and our supercomputer Vulcan, which can calculate 7 million billion sums per second.

In February 2020, the Government announced that work would commence on a Replacement Warhead programme for the Royal Navy’s new Dreadnought-class submarines, which are currently under construction. This started a new era for AWE, collaborating with the Government on the future of CASD. In November of the same year, it was announced that AWE would be brought into direct government ownership as a Non-Departmental Public Body, allowing close cooperation and partnership with the MOD, with the arrangements taking effect from 1 July 2021.

AWE and the MOD have been working together closely to build on this transition and realise the full potential of AWE being part of government.