AWE

About

What if you could work on something that you can’t test – but cannot afford to fail. For nearly 70 years, AWE has supported the UK Government’s nuclear defence strategy and the Continuous At Sea Deterrent. AWE employs 5,500 women and men undertaking some of the most important work to support the most important mission – keeping the nation safe. We have some of the most brilliant people, working on some of the most complex challenges. We are a team of remarkable people achieving extraordinary things.

Our mission is to deliver nuclear warheads for the UK’s deterrent and use our expertise to support national security. With some of the most advanced technologies in the world, we maintain, extend and continue to certify the life of our products, as well as researching and developing technologies for future systems. Using our unique nuclear skills and expertise, we also support the Government by providing innovative solutions to counter terrorism and nuclear threats.

Role In the National Laboratories Alliance

AWE is the organisation which provides the key technical expertise necessary to maintain stewardship of the UK’s nuclear deterrent. In addition to operating highly specialised production capabilities, a diverse set of unique technical facilities support around 1700 scientists, technologists, engineers and mathematicians with world class expertise in their specialist fields. This rich technical capability is further enhanced through collaborative working with academic institutions who share access to some of our key facilities (such as the Orion laser facility).

In addition to our role in support of the nuclear deterrent AWE also provides operational support, technical innovation and specialist advice to government in the area of radiological and nuclear counter-terrorism.