On 16th July 2010 the Ministry of Defence submitted a planning application to West Berkshire Council for construction of a new hydrodynamics research facility at the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) Aldermaston. The new facility, known as Project Hydrus by AWE’s planners, is the latest development in AWE’s site development strategy for modernising and rebuilding the facilities needed to manufacture Britain’s nuclear weapons. Design and preparation work on the project has been underway for the last ten years and, after a series of delays, has now reached the planning application stage. The new facility will increase AWE’s hydrodynamics research capabilities and will complement and eventually replace the work of a number of smaller existing facilities.