NIS Update: March 2015

Warhead factory's flagship construction project placed 'on hold'

A flagship £600 million construction project at the Aldermaston Atomic Weapons Establishment – the centrepiece of plans to rebuild the UK's nuclear weapons factory to manufacture the next generation UK Trident warheads – has been put on hold following a series of design problems, project management failures, and regulatory setbacks.  Read more.

 

Staffing and organisational change highlighted as key challenges to MoD nuclear safety

Staffing issues and organisational change remain the biggest safety challenges to the UK's military nuclear programme according to a report published by an internal Ministry of Defence safety regulator.  Read more.

 

UK announces reduction in operationally deployed warhead capability

The UK has reduced numbers of its operationally available nuclear warheads and deployed Trident missiles, reaching a “key milestone” which, according to Ministers, demonstrates the UK's “continued leadership” within the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).  Read more.

 

 Nuclear safety incidents soar at Clyde submarine base

The number of radiation safety incidents at the Clyde naval base where the UK's Trident nuclear weapons submarines are based has risen by more than 50 per cent over a year, according to figures released by the Ministry of Defence.  Read more.

 

Little concrete progress towards disarmament as P5 meet to prepare for NPT Review Conference

The five nuclear-weapon states recognised under the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) met in London at the beginning of February to prepare for the forthcoming NPT Review Conference, which begins in April in New York.  Read more.

 

Trident replacement programme 'on target' as spending passes £1.2 billion

Spending to date on the programme to replace the submarines which carry the UK's Trident nuclear weapons has now reached a total of £1.24 billion, according to an annual progress report published by the Ministry of Defence.  Read more.

 

Flood defence scheme proposed for AWE Burghfield

The Ministry of Defence has submitted a planning application to West Berkshire Council requesting permission to build flood defences for the Atomic Weapons Establishment Burghfield, which has a history of flooding.  Read more.

 

NIS response to Ministry of Defence Submarine Dismantling Consultation

Read the reponse by Nuclear Information Service to consultation by the Ministry of Defence on proposals for the interim storage of radioactive waste from decommissioned nuclear powered submarines.  Read more.

 

Blog articles on the NIS web page

Our webpage is regularly updated with news articles and blog postings, and this month you can read a guest blog posting by Dr David Lowry contrasting what the UK says about disarmament with what it does, an analysis of President Hollande's recent statement on French nuclear weapons policy, and an article on the costs of the Trident replacement programme.

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