What happens at AWE Burghfield?

A former munitions factory, AWE Burghfield is a 225-acre site where warheads are assembled and maintained while in service, and decommissioned when out of service. AWE Blacknest is home to the Forensic Seismology department.

What happens at AWE Aldermaston?

AWE’s responsibilities AWE is tasked to help the United Kingdom maintain a credible and effective minimum nuclear deterrent: To maintain the warheads for the Trident nuclear deterrent safely and reliably in service. To maintain a capability to design a new weapon, should it ever be required.

Are there nuclear weapons in Aldermaston?

British nuclear warheads are designed and developed at the Atomic Weapons Establishment at Aldermaston. They are manufactured at the Royal Ordnance Factory at Burghfield and at Aldermaston, using components made at the Royal Ordnance Factory at Cardiff.

What is Aldermaston famous for?

The name “Aldermaston” is well known in connection with the UK’s nuclear weapons programme, as well as the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament. The Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE), which develops, maintains, and disposes of the UK’s nuclear weaponry is in the parish.

Is AWE owned by the MOD?

AWE plc has become Non-Departmental Public Body, wholly own by the Ministry of Defence. As announced in November of last year, today, AWE plc, the company operating the Atomic Weapons Establishments (AWE), has become a Non-Departmental Public Body, wholly owned by the Ministry of Defence (MOD).

Is AWE a PLC?

Where are the nuclear bases in UK?

The two vaults used for nuclear weapons are in Scotland at the Royal Naval Armaments Depot (RNAD) in Coulport, and Her Majesty’s Naval Base (HMNB) in Clyde.

Who owns Aldermaston?

The estate is managed by Serviced Office Group plc, an AIM-Listed group which owns or manages 23 properties, principally in the London area.

Where are the UK’s nuclear weapons kept?

The two vaults used for nuclear weapons are in Scotland at the Royal Naval Armaments Depot (RNAD) in Coulport, and Her Majesty’s Naval Base (HMNB) in Clyde. The Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) handles missiles needing repair at one of its four sites.

What is the blast area of destruction of a nuclear explosion?

1) Initial blast and radiation . The blast area of destruction is only 5-7 miles from any nuclear target, so don’t prepare against blast effects, which is very expensive—relocate instead.

How do you detonate a nuclear bomb on a city?

Wellerstein’s NukeMap tool lets you detonate a hypothetical nuclear bomb over any major city in the world. The simulations use data from the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (which is sponsored by the US Department of Energy) that shows how many people are likely to inhabit an area within a 24-hour period.

How far away from a nuclear explosion can you be?

The blast area of destruction is only 5-7 miles from any nuclear target, so don’t prepare against blast effects, which is very expensive—relocate instead. Avert your eyes immediately from even a distant explosion and duck behind anything that will shield you from the instantaneous line of sight radiation and intense heat and light.

Which US cities would most likely be hit by a nuclear bomb?

An illustration of a nuclear bomb exploding in a city. A nuclear attack on US soil would most likely target one of six cities, according to one expert: New York, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, San Francisco, or Washington, DC. Simulations show how each of the cities would be affected by a 15-kiloton blast — the kind detonated over Hiroshima.