Latest News

AWE‘s Chief Executive Officer, Alison Atkinson, has been elected a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering. She is one of 69 academics, business leaders and innovators elected to the Fellowship, for their outstanding contributions to engineering and technology.

On 17 August, the United States’ Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) announced that it had obtained a 1.3 MegaJoule (MJ) yield of neutron energy at its National Ignition Facility (NIF). AWE welcomes this very significant achievement, a scientific first. Such high energy ignited plasmas are a very valuable tool in the process of underwriting nuclear […]

 A legacy of innovation Since its beginnings, AWE has been synonymous with innovation in defence. We have pioneered advanced capabilities, facilities, and cutting-edge research for UK’s nuclear deterrence programme. Recently, we commissioned a new supercomputer called Damson, capable of performing 4.3 million billion calculations per second. Orion, one of the largest lasers in the world, […]

AWE Blacknest is home to AWE’s Forensic Seismology team. Here, techniques are developed to distinguish seismic signals generated by underground nuclear explosions from those generated by earthquakes. This work is pivotal to the UK’s verification of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), which bans any nuclear weapons test explosion or any other nuclear explosion. This year, […]

AWE is proud to announce that scientist John Bradshaw has been made an Honorary Fellow of the Society for Radiological Protection (SRP). The SRP is the principal independent professional body for radiation protection in the UK and a learned focus for both understanding radiation hazards and solutions, and providing information to government, industry and the public […]

AWE’s Dave Castle IEng RCADMan FIED MBCS CITP is the new Chair of the Institution of Engineering Designers (IED) the professional membership body for designers working in the fields of engineering and product design. Dave was elected vice-Chair in 2018, Chair-Elect in early 2021 and officially took up his new role following the IED’s AGM […]

The last year may have put much site-based working on hold but it has not put an end to scientific collaboration, which has continued to flourish despite the restrictions caused by Covid-19. One such example is a recent project bringing together AWE and NPL, the UK’s National Metrology Institute, to support resilient timing in the […]

Today (1 July 2021), AWE plc, the company operating the Atomic Weapons Establishments (AWE), becomes a Non-Departmental Public Body, wholly owned by the Ministry of Defence (MOD). This change in operating model, announced last year in November, will further strengthen the relationship between the MOD and AWE plc, enhancing the management of the UK’s nuclear […]

On 23rd June, AWE celebrated International Women in Engineering Day – an international awareness campaign which raises the profile of women in engineering and celebrates the amazing things women engineers do. The day also serves to inspire others to embark on a career in engineering. Celebrating its 8th year, International Women in Engineering Day (INWED) began in […]

AWE has surpassed itself by coming 21st in the list of the 2021 Top 25 Best Big Companies to work for – up by three places on its 2019 position! The Best Big Companies award is open to companies with over 2,000 employees – with those achieving the highest Best Companies Index (BCI) scores featuring […]

Last week, we celebrated 61 years of the laser. Colin Danson, Distinguished Scientist at AWE and Academic Access Manager for Orion, spoke to Physics World about the latest in the world of high-power laser development and innovation. Listen to the episode of Physics World Weekly here

AWE scientists have been recently recognised not once, but twice, at the prestigious Women in Defence Awards which saw more than 500 entries this year. Set up as a LinkedIn group in 2011, Women in Defence has become a strong community of women and men focused on the achievements of individuals, teams and organisations working […]

AWE has launched its first Career Returners Programme, which is designed to support experienced professionals return to their field following a career break and help with their transition back to work.   The programme is open to anyone who’s taken a break from their career for two years or more – but is mainly aimed at women who’ve taken time out to bring […]

Sian Butler, Executive Director at AWE, has been honoured at the annual Women in Nuclear UK (WiN UK) Awards.

Like other large organisations, AWE has had to adapt during the pandemic – both as an employer and a responsible business. Throughout the last year, AWE’s sites at Aldermaston and Burghfield have remained operational, but responsive to an ever-changing situation while continuing to support the defence and security of the UK. For our critical workers, […]

Local-based charity, New Beginnings has been chosen by AWE staff as worthy recipients of a £5,000 donation. New Beginnings is a charity focused on the prevention and relief of poverty and financial hardship of persons in Reading and the Greater Berkshire area. Each year AWE staff can nominate local charities or good causes close to […]

New research published in Nature Comms sheds light on a fundamental phenomenon in plasma physics The Universe is full of spectacular events where flowing plasmas – collections of charged ions and electrons – collide, releasing energy as magnetic fields reconfigure and reconnect. In some instances, this causes ions to accelerate to high energy. Close to […]

AWE is entering into a partnership with the University of Surrey, which is launching a new Centre of Excellence in Materials Ageing, Performance and Life Prediction The University’s long-standing expertise in materials science and engineering and its strengths in advanced characterisation of materials in demanding environments, underpin the partnership. Professor Norman Godfrey, AWE Deputy Chief […]

AWE plc has been fined following a guilty plea to a charge brought by the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) under Section 3 of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. This was in relation to an incident at AWE’s Aldermaston site in June 2019, comprising a flash-over of electricity when a contractor’s […]

AWE scientist, Kirk Duroe has been recognised with the 2020 Clifford Paterson medal and prize from the renowned Institute of Physics. Kirk’s award is a Bronze Early Career medal which recognises exceptional physicists in the early stages of their careers. The Institute of Physics’ medal was in recognition of Kirk’s expert technical advice to the […]