Catalogue description Atomic Weapons Research Establishment and Atomic Weapons Establishment: Non-weapon Projects

This series contains records relating to policy and planning of work relating to non-weapon projects.

During the 1960s and 1970s (and later in the 1990s) AWRE embarked upon non-nuclear diversification projects.

In the first period, projects were defined under the broad headings of:

1. Medical engineering: (including, prosthetics; surgical implants; dental materials development; patient monitoring equipment; flexible gastroscope and pacemaker development).

2. Military (non-nuclear) projects; (including, laser damage weapon research; PETS (pulsed electromagnetic field simulator) and other EMP (electromagnetic pulse) studies.

In the second period, projects arose out of the contractorisation of AWE under the 1993 GOCO (Government Owned Contractor Operated) management agreement. With the approval of MoD, there was a resurgence of initiatives to exploit AWEs resources in various commercial undertakings (commercialisation). Projects included:

• System design;
• Engineering analysis;
• Chemical Analysis;
• Special materials research;
• Environmental testing.

Organic and non-organic materials research and development; including Carbon-carbon composites; other high strength materials research; fuel cells; the fuel element project; will be deposited in

ES 27

Atomic Weapons Establishment, 1987-

Atomic Weapons Research Establishment, 1954-1973

Ministry of Defence, Atomic Weapons Research Establishment, 1973-1987

from 2017 Atomic Weapons Establishment