AWE Nuclear Security Technologies
AWE Nuclear Security Technologies (previously the Atomic Weapons Research Establishment) was a Ministry of Defence facility responsible for the design, manufacture and support of the United Kingdom's nuclear weapons. During the mid-21st century, during the privatisation of the UK defence industry, the organisation was sold off to Helios Defence. During the London Revolution, Helios loyalists set fire to the site at Aldermaston, severely damaging the complex and resulting in a significant release of nuclear material into the atmosphere. After the workers were detained as POWs, the site was taken over by the new government, and its operations were subsequently absorbed into the State Defence Section (SDS). As the Thames Republic decided not to maintain a nuclear arsenal, the site was converted into a hybrid nuclear and exophysics defence site, jointly administered by the SDS and the Department for Exophysics (DfE).
Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Nuclear weapons |
| Predecessor | Atomic Weapons Research Establishment (AWRE) |
| Founded | January 1, 1987 |
| Defunct | March 6, 2053 |
| Fate | Operations absorbed into the State Defence Section |
| Headquarters | 51°22′09.3″N 1°08′25.9″W / 51.369250°N 1.140528°W |
| Parent | Helios Defence |
During Helios' attempt to destroy the site, many non-loyalist workers at the site attempted to counter the efforts of the loyalists, resulting in the nuclear release being far lesser than it could have been. Many of these workers were scientists who were convinced they were doing the right thing for the country before its privatisation. After the conclusion of the London Revolution, many of those scientists became traumatised by the events of that day, and their vocal testimony to its events significantly contributed to the Republic's eventual decision towards denuclearisation.
Legacy
Because of the loss of the site, Great Britain lost the ability to build new nuclear warheads, and had lost the remainder of its existing stockpile to Scotland during the Independence Wars, leaving Scotland as the only nuclear-armed country on the island. Great Britain would later attempt to rebuild a manufacturing capability near Manchester, but these efforts were cut short as the government redirected funding for the exophysics rush. As Scotland's nuclear stockpile began to decline, the government requested though backchannels that the Thames Republic reopen the weapons factory so they could be maintained, realising that Scotland could not afford the time or money to construct a facility of their own; the Thames Republic declined, and this would lead to Scotland ceasing submarine operations and Faslane eventually shutting down.