2002 STRATEGY PLAN
FOR THE ATOMIC WEAPONS ESTABLISHMENT (AWE) ALDERMASTON
AWE Test Facilities to Comply with the CTBT
The AWE Strategy Plan explains that the new hydrodynamics facility is needed to enable test data to equal that previously only available from underground nuclear tests. AWE currently tests weapon mock-ups and small amounts of fissile material in an existing hydrodynamics facility where giant x-ray machines diagnose the effects of extreme forces inside an exploding warhead. However, there is no report of the current facility failing to keep Trident "one-point safe", suggesting that any new facility is planned to coincide with testing a new weapon. Similarly, AWE wants to replace the existing HELEN laser, with a new high-powered laser to take over work begun in the National Ignition Facility (NIF) in the USA. The aim is to have "the UK's own national laser facility". The new material science laboratories will also provide underground-test quality diagnosis of weapons' materials. The supercomputer to transpose test data into mathematical models of warhead performance is already in place.1
Weapons' Nanotechnology
Nanotechnology has been around in weapons' science for decades. Microelectomechanical systems (MEMS) technology is used in nuclear weapons to achieve extreme safety, reliability and resistance to external factors for detonators and locking systems, by making the trigger components as small as possible. The "new build" objective is to build micro-fusion nuclear weapons with very low yield. The tiny pellets of thermonuclear fuel that are tested in the NIF are the most delicate and sophisticated 'non-engineered' devices in existence.2
Trident warheads have insensitive high explosives (IHE) which can only be detonated by means of a small charge of sensitive HE that is held out of alignment from the main charge of IHE. Once the warhead is armed and fired, a MEMS trigger brings the detonator into position with the main charge. This is done by many separate detonators, each with their own locking device, in order to keep the weapon 'one-point safe' for transport and handling. 2
Fourth-Generation Nuclear Weapons Triggers
First and second generation nuclear weapons are atomic and hydrogen bombs, with the neutron bomb developed in 1960 -1980s being the third generation. Advanced technology will enable a fourth generation weapon to be detonated by a relatively small thermonuclear explosion in which a deuterium-tritium mixture is burned in a device whose weight and size are not much larger than a few kilograms and litres. This small nuclear weapon will be considered not to break the taboo of first-use of Weapons of Mass Destruction and probably be described as having the same radioactive effect as DU. This technology could be perfected at laboratory level in 10-15 years. 2
US-UK Stocktake Meeting
At the beginning of June, the 18-monthly UK/US stocktake meeting took place in London to review the Mutual Defence Agreement, signed between the two countries in 1958. "Sir Keith O'Nions, Chief Scientific Adviser to the MoD is the UK custodian of the Agreement. Technical exchanges on warhead matters take place regularly in Joint Working Groups and through exchange of information and visit reports between AWE and the US ".3
Exchange visits between USA weapon's labs and AWE scientists4
AWE scientists have visited the following 25 US weapon's labs. in 2002:
Los Alamos National Laboratory
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Sandia National Laboratories
ITT Industries
Honeywell Kansas City Plant
BWXT Pantex Plant
BWXTY-12 Plant
National Nuclear Security Administration Headquarters
Bechtel Nevada
NNSA Savannah River site
Logicon RDA
Titan Corporation
Mitre Corporation
Picatinny Arsenal
US Strategic Command
Defense Threat Redaction Agency
LLE Rochester
Pacific Northwest Laboratories
Brookhaven National Laboratory
Lockheed Martin Missiles and Space
Boiling Air Force Base
AFT AC Patrick Air Force Base
MIT Lincoln Laboratory
Naval Surface Warfare Center
Science Applications International Corporation
US personal have visited AWE from the following 19 institutions:
Los Alamos National Laboratory
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Sandia National Laboratories
ITT Industries
Honeywell Kansas City Plant
BWXT Pantex Plant
BWXT Y-12 Plant
National Nuclear Security Administration Headquarters
Bechtel Nevada
Titan Corporation
US Strategic Command
Defense Threat Reduction Agency
Naval Research Laboratory
Alme Associates
Lockheed Martin Missiles and Space
LLE Rochester
Naval Surface Warfare Center
Strategic Systems Programs
Science Applications International Corporation
AWE adopt 'lean management' techniques
In order to reduce waste and improve efficiency, facilitators have been trained to "empower and motivate staff to solve problems", according to Steve Spencer, one of the facilitators in the Metallic Materials and Precision Engineering workshops. Also, "senior managers have taken part in a 'back to the shop floor' exercise to discuss with workers what improvements can be made and to demonstrate their commitment to the process".4
Continued delay in Notice of Proposed Development (NoPD)
Another month has passed without an AWE submission of a NoPD to West Berks. Council for any of the developments listed in the Strategy Plan. We may speculate as to whether the delay is caused by political, bureaucratic, financial, architectural or strategic disagreements, or general chaos!
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NOTES:
1. AWE Strategy Plan
2. Dr André Gsponer, Director Independent Scientific Research Institute (ISRI), Geneva writing in Disarmament Diplomacy No. 67. See Acronym website at www.acronym.org.uk
3. AWE Today, June 2003
4. HANSARD. Parliamentary Question by Alan Simpson MP 9 Jul 2003:Column 807W.