Editing Atomic Weapons Establishment (section)

{{Short description|UK Ministry of Defence nuclear research and manufacturing facility}}
{{redirect|AWRE|the village in Gloucestershire|Awre}}
{{EngvarB|date=September 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2022}}
{{Infobox government agency
| name            = Atomic Weapons Establishment
| native_name     = 
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| type            = [[Non-departmental public body]]
| seal            = 
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| logo            = AWE PrimaryLogo Black.png
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| image           = 
| image_size      = 
| image_caption   = AWE Nuclear Security Techonologies building
| image_alt       = 
| formed          = {{Start date and age|1987}}
| preceding1      = Atomic Weapons Research Establishment (AWRE)
| preceding2      = Royal Ordnance Factories (ROF) Burghfield and Cardiff
| dissolved       = 
| superseding1    = 
| superseding2    = <!-- up to |superseding6= -->
| jurisdiction    = United Kingdom
| status          = 
| headquarters    = [[Aldermaston]], [[Berkshire]], England
| coordinates     = {{coord|51|22|09.3|N|1|08|25.9|W|display=inline,title}}
| motto           = 
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| chief1_name     = Sir John Manzoni
| chief1_position = [[Chairperson|Chairman]]
| chief2_name     = Nick Elliot
| chief2_position = [[Chief executive officer|Chief Executive]]
| parent_department = [[Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)|Ministry of Defence]]
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| keydocument1    = <!-- up to |keydocument6= -->
| website         = {{ubl|{{URL|https://www.awe.co.uk/}} (Main website}| {{URL|https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/atomic-weapons-establishment}} ([[GOV.UK]] webpage)}}
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The '''Atomic Weapons Establishment''' ('''AWE''') is a United Kingdom [[Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)|Ministry of Defence]] research facility responsible for the [[nuclear weapon design|design]], manufacture and support of [[Nuclear weapon|warheads]] for the [[Nuclear weapons and the United Kingdom|UK's nuclear weapons]]. It is the successor to the '''Atomic Weapons Research Establishment''' ('''AWRE''') with its main site on the former [[RAF Aldermaston]] and has major facilities at [[Burghfield]], Blacknest and [[RNAD Coulport]].

AWE [[Public limited company|plc]], responsible for the day-to-day operations of AWE, is owned by the [[Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)|Ministry of Defence]] and operated as a [[non-departmental public body]].

Until June 2021, AWE plc was owned by a consortium of [[Jacobs Engineering Group]], [[Lockheed Martin UK]], and [[Serco]] through AWE Management Ltd, which held a 25‑year contract (until March 2025) to operate AWE, although all the sites remained owned by the [[Government of the United Kingdom]] which had a [[golden share]] in AWE plc.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.awe.co.uk/about-us/our-company/ |title=Our company |publisher=AWE|access-date=27 February 2016}}</ref> In November 2020, it was announced that the Ministry of Defence had triggered a contractual break point and would take ownership of AWE Plc in July 2021.<ref name="Nov 2020">{{cite news|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/atomic-weapons-establishment-awe-written-ministerial-statement|title=Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) Written Ministerial Statement|date=2 November 2020|publisher=UK Government|access-date=2 November 2020}}</ref><ref name="Parliament Nov 2020">{{cite news|url=https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2020-11-02/hcws544|title=Secretary of State for Defence Statement to Parliament|date=2 November 2020|publisher=UK Government|access-date=4 November 2020}}</ref>

The establishment is the final destination for the [[Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament]]'s Aldermaston Marches march from [[Trafalgar Square]], [[London]]. The first [[Aldermaston Marches|Aldermaston March]] was conceived by the [[Direct Action Committee]] and took place in 1958.